Karmahitlist to resurface at Reggae Fest with new sound - By N.L. Belardes

Saturday June 4th the Rockin' Reggae Fest is coming to Stramler Park. You can see some of my favorites like Mento Buru, Liars and Thieves, Seven to the Right, Give Impulse, RidiKule, Throatshot, and the return of KARMAHITLIST!!! Sorry, I am more than a little excited about Cesareo, Sean Jim, and is it Tim? I forget... he's the new bassist. But I do know they are going to have a new sound to some of their great songs... and maybe a few new songs as well. Let's see if matildakay shows up and critiques Sean's fabulous make-up and dance moves. This is going to be a really fun day... I haven't been to an all day concert in... wait, I can't give away my age...

I am hoping to go visit with one or more of the guys from Karmahitlist before the big show.

And don't forget Tiger Army. I can't wait to see them. I've heard great things. Here's the schedule. I'm going for sure.

stage 1

1 tiger army 8:50 10:00
2 authority zero 7:50 8:30
3 throatshot 7:05 7:30
4 give impulse 6:35 6:55
5 HR 5:25 6:25
6 karma 4:50 5:10
7 rocky nash 4:20 4:40
8 red gun radar 3:50 4:10
9 carlton l. 3:10 3:40
# mento buru 2:30 3:00
# el pus 1:50 2:20
# dub agent 1:10 1:40
# myndsick 12:40 1:00
# KLB week 1 12:15 12:30
# KLB week 2 11:50 12:05
# KLB week 3 11:25 11:40
# KLB week 4 11:00 11:15

stage 2

1 e race 8:40 9:05
2 empty handed 8:10 8:30
3 half moon drive7:40 8:00
4 firescape 7:10 7:30
5 vanity ave. 6:40 7:00
6 7 to the right 6:10 6:30
7 love day 5:40 6:00
8 ridicule 5:10 5:30
9 pharaoh jones 4:40 5:00
# souh of shaw 4:10 4:30
# liars and thieves3:40 4:00
# night crawlers 3:10 3:30
# green machine 2:40 3:00
# mahop 2:10 2:30
# another year 1:40 2:00
# seed 1:10 1:30

Skyler responds to Christian music blog - By. N.L. Belardes

Skyler, keyboardist extraordinaire of Lostocean read my recent blog on Christian rock music and had something to say about it. Sorry that blog wasn't well written, but it did make a few points... and it stirred Skyler enough to make some friendly comments...

Here's what Skyler had to say:


after reading your post, it really got me going. plus i love talking
about these sort of things, it's quite interesting.

" If you like the music of the world, go listen. If you don't, then
don't."

That is a completley true statement. As far as what I believe, it's
always good to listen to music that is mentally stimulating in
different shapes or forms. I think thats the only limit i really have
for my own tastes. Why would someone want to intentionally listen to
bad music, when there is tons of great music out there?! Well then
there lies the problem: what is classified as "good" music in the
times we live in? Can people still listen to composers from Mozart to
Stravinsky and still be mentally stimulated enough to get something
out of it, rather than just listening to it casually? What about music
being currently released?

I think there are just a few elements that these really great artists
need to strive for. For one, you can't just be like every other band
to provoke any thought in the more-than-casual listener (if that is
your target audience). You have to have that element that makes you
unique. Another is that it is quite important (I know this may come
off as sounding pretentious, but I personally don't care) to have some
sort of musical knowlege about the instrument as well as the music you
are playing. If you just pick up a guitar, learn some chords, and
kinda have an idea of what you are doing, you are most likely not
going to make a big impact on the music scene whatsoever. Then after
that, you have to control a thing called "taste." You may be the
greatest guitarist that ever lived, and can outshred anyone that
stands in you way, but let's hear you write a spectacular pop song!
That's why its really important to know what your striving for
musically, so you don't end up throwing things in the mix that just
aren't going to work.

Most importantly, BE YOURSELF! I can speak for this, because everyone
in Lostocean are christians, and feel the same way about this. In our
case, our lyrics deal with how we view, feel, and interact with life,
and everything that goes along with it. So obviously this is where the
christian-influenced lyrics fall into place. Not all our lyrics are
about God, because we are not a praise band. Thats not the goal of
Lostocean. Now here comes the kicker: does this make us a christian
band? I mean, do bands that have no faith based lyrics in their music
go around telling people they are a secular pop/rock band? Doubtful. I
think that the whole Christian Rock fiasco is really bizarre, and
really takes away from the whole music creation process. It's become
such a cultural taboo to speak about religion in music. I could go on
and on about this, but I realize that this is already a huge comment.

Anyways, to conclude, I think if more musicians followed the things I
talked about, maybe we could have much more inspiring music to listen
to.

I don't know exactly why I decided to tell you all of this. Just
thought I'd say something.


-Skyler

My fifteen minutes of fame on KRAB - By N.L. Belardes

I was lost. It's normal. Every morning I lose my house keys in the big stack of papers on my desk and I go into cranky mode. JR and I both wandered outside the KRABland studios and I wasn't even sure I was in the right place. And so, yes, cranky mode set in. JR has seen it in me a half-dozen times. He always says, "Chill..."

It read "KRAB Radio 106.1" on the Clear Channel marquee, so it had to be the right place. But what did I know? For all I knew there was some radio tower on a mountain where Danny Spanks beamed his voice into the valley and we were far from it.

It wasn't long and Danny came down and greeted us at the door. He came outside and smoked a quick cigarette and that was that. Five minutes later he escorted us into the tiny room where the illusion of radio is weaved like a hip Wizard of Oz behind a magic curtain. Oh sure, there's a big server room, and other radio stations all tucked away neatly along an upstairs corridor. But that wasn't where JR and I were headed. We were off to send a message to the good people of Bakersfield; well, I had an agenda anyways. I wanted to talk about people being drawn to the drama of the music scene and about hidden talents unappreciated by the greater Bakersfield masses.


Yeah, JR knows I dig hockey. But Detroit??
Just kidding... thanks man...

Paul of Exithead pointed out in an email today that I should have mentioned American Standard. He's right. But then, I put American Standard right up there with Adema and Korn. They're going to the top. It's just a matter of a short while. They have great packaging, great music, great contacts, and a hero and legend in Mark DeLeon. I reserved my time last night for the less fortunate bands...I heard JR even got mentioned in the liner notes. It will be a cold day in hell before I get that lucky. I had American Standard in my notes though...

Yeah, I could have played songs from a bunch of really killer bands on the verge of getting signed, but I figured, if last night was the only night in my life I was going to get on the radio, then I was going to do something for the kids of Bakersfield. Why not play an obscure cowpunk song from some young kids from the agri-city of punkdom, so that they would know that like Matt Munoz once told me, "The kids of Bakersfield need to know that it's still a great thing to be in a band..."

The studio time flew by really fast and it was all over. I have to admit it was pretty fun to do. And if there's another chance. Well I hope to do it even better in the future...

Thanks to all the artists who listened last night.


I think this was where I was putting Danny to sleep
with my rambling...

Some loose notes I took before going on air. Call it a tentative N.L. agenda. I scribbled them onto a legal pad and then jotted down even more notes. I tend to only write down half of what I'm really thinking before giving a speech/lecture. JR, he just has it all in his head. I'm not that good:

NOTES:


Well you can’t ignore the alleged Nate Berg drama. That just captivates people like the Lords of Bakersfield stories I write. Did or didn’t the alleged baseball bat of poor consciousness take place. Did the Lords really kill children on a murderous gay rampage. You see, many of these stories are built on exactly what my music blog states, gossip. It’s what people talk about. It’s the word on the street. And people are drawn to such controversy. We can only wonder, will the Nate Berg stories become mythified five years, ten years from now like the Lords of Bakersfield stories. It can help the music scene in the long run.

On another note there’s always drama in the scene. Band members come and go. Venues come and go or change names completely. I think some of the most tragic and dramatic are the closing of Gigantic downtown. It literally changed the shape of the music scene. Kids could no longer run back and forth from show to show across 19th street. You see, venues can play off each other. And that’s one of the reason Jerry’s Pizza takes so much opinionated heat from local musicians. It wants to stand alone. And so Jerry’s takes heat because representatives are seen downtown checking out the scene in other venues so it knows how to combat instead of work with other downtown venues. I think Jerry’s would be happy to see the Bakersfield downtown never build up like other major cities.

That along with the local murders have nearly decimated what at the beginning of the year was a growing scene. Now the growth is sporadic. The murders were all between people fighting. You know there’s something I say to people about cowboys and it’s a rule of thumb for most people. If you don’t want a boot in your ass, then leave cowboys alone. Same is said for punks with chains and big guys in bars who may be drinking, and who may be on drugs. With that said, people have this false idea that downtown is dangerous for them. It’s not dangerous. Use the same rules you would use anywhere. Don’t walk alone in the dark. Don’t leave valuables in your car. Park in well-lit areas. Don’t drink and drive. And have fun.

You can still go to Jerry’s, Kosmos, Rileys, fishlips, underground or downtown records. You can’t get Chinese food in the Wall St. alley anymore, but you can go to the cat, and now there’s Azuls, and some really cool DJ stuff happening there and over at Xanders. Xanders has the coolest underground DJ scene with its cool leather couches, bar and great vibe… acoustic-based musicians should approach these guys about shows.


Who are all the younger bands?

Night Crawlers and the Kookoonauts: who do the younger bands try to emulate these days?

I spoke with the Kookoonauts…. They take their music seriously so do you call them a garage band? I can think of some bands around here who have that label and they’ve been together a while.

But then, I like U2 and didn’t they start in a garage or something?

People claim there aren’t enough venues in town. Problem is there isn’t enough support for all the shows. There are thousands of young people uneducated as to the talent of some of these bands. And with some bands, fan loyalty among friends who are taught to hate other bands, it’s rather silly. If you’re the Condors, sure, hate the falcons, but why contribute to a small music scene. Small minded-ness only breeds itself.

Is anybody aware of the rock stars in this town? Seantastic of Karmahitlist, Tyler or Liars and Thieves, Kenny Mount of the Filthies, Ty of Arrival of Fawn, the list goes on, and now this kid sensation of Lost Ocean: Skyler. He’s a 19 year old virtuoso. Others in their young band are too, but this kid is amazing with what he does on the keyboards. If people in Bakersfield would quit watching American Idol for one second they would flock to some of these shows to see literal rock stars.

People in Bakersfield take it for granted what Bakersfield means to people outside of this city. It’s a shame. How many times have you heard young kids here say, I hate Bakersfield, there’s no culture, there’s nothing to do in this hick town.

Well I was at a country music show the other night and saw a statue in Bakersfield dedicated to Elvis, let alone other folks like wills, Williams, and Cash, I mean Elvis Presley…

I was at the show and saw rock and roll people… not a lot, but some, why? Because those are the few who recognize and capitalize on the roots of this town that doesn’t just include Korn and Adema, but country roots that had close ties to early rock roots.

If the younger crowd would realize and get educated to their roots, this town could explode as a rekindling of Nashville West.

But then this town seems to repel rather than embrace. Don’t folks realize that people who make music are cultural leaders? Buck Owens can attest to that. And he knew Elvis, right?

I think Norfolk is one of the only local bands on the right track to embrace the culture of Bakersfield; maybe American Standar does. I haven’t listened to their CD, but they have this powerhouse tough-American metal image going on that I think reflects a cool working class USA image… As for Norfolk, their website needs to reflect their alt country music. Marketing must be integrated with Bakersfield culture. The Filthies and Ridicule and hopefully 40-to-1, and hopefully the KooKooNauts are doing it too with rural rock punk as their theme.

Why not invent new movements in music? Be self-created.

Jacob Burkhardt did it for the Renaissance. Did you think there was a Rennaissance just because art flourished? No, it was a name given by a historian. Art is flourishing in Bakersfield today, but unless it is given a name, it will just disappear like other lost eras for some historian in the future to hopefully stumble upon.

Christian rock in Bakersfield - By N.L. Belardes

Yes, Christian rock thrives in Bakersfield. Just read my review of the Lostocean CD. You can scroll down and find it. I talk all about their Christian-influenced lyrics. Read about Norfolk and Johnny Come Lately. Though they won't come out and say they're Christian rock bands and I typically don't bother them about it, they are, to an extent... But then, such a label is a fine line. Many country artists are Christians but their bands just don't get labeled.

Now read what Danielle Belton has to say about Christian Rock in her interview with Peter Prevost's brother, Phillip Prevost. Both are in Johnny Come Lately. Apparently Christian rock is thriving, although you won't find big Christian crowds down at Jerry's Pizza.

I think Christian parents are too conservative and terrified to see their kids hang out with the angry punks. They'd rather have their own shows on their own territory. Why cross-pollinate and expose kids to the Devil any more than you have to? That mentality is just silly to me. Everyone wants to find the middle ground. Bands want to preach, but not really preach; Christian parents will allow kids to be themselves and imitate the world in stylings, except when it comes to hanging out with the heathens in a social atmosphere. These are age-old issues and expected in this conservative town. It's just not spoken of very often in a secular format... I could go on and on, but why beat a dead horse? If you like the music of the world, go listen. If you don't, then don't. If you want to raise kids who might rebel because you keep them in a bubble, then do what you want... after all, they're your kids, right? I say build trust... build relationships... and like the quote in Belton's article, "Why preach to the choir?" Half the choir might be sitting behind the preacher and falling asleep anyway...

The art of nature - By N.L. Belardes

If you were looking for me yesterday I was out contemplating the natural world around. "How nature can you get," I think Bugs Bunny once said. Sorry, I'm not in a profound mood. Let these images speak for themselves...


The War Days Director comtemplates a nature documentary


Mutated spider... Look at its back, baby spiders?


Stay away from barrels, this ain't Niagara
(I don't mean the car wash)


The mists of the falls, or Degobah... see Yoda's hut?


I want to learn to yodel


The Irises of the paved valley

New Online Record Store - By N.L. Belardes

I just saw a bunch of old Joy Division for sale at Arnold's new online outlet for Going Underground Records. You know his store right? It's in the Haberfelde Building in downtown Bakersfield and it's really a killer looking place, straight out of the High Fidelity novel by Nick Hornby. No, we're not in London; but if done right, record stores have a universal appeal to youth across the world. Please, go buy a CD online and support your local music stores. When you're done, go buy something from Jake too. Both links are on my arts page... You'll find a wide and complimentary selection from both stores...

N.L. and J.R. on KRAB, and some music gossip to check out - By N.L. Belardes

I was reading the dusk devils blog about a Norwegian write-up of the band when I followed some other links to an old review of, get this, a Buck Owens/Cake duet at the Crystal Palace. Apparently the writer for the Phantom Tollbooth was quite perturbed that MTV/VH1, the Californian, et. al were not around to review this historic moment back in 2003. Give the article a read. It's worth your time.

40 Watt Hype is still tearing it up. Check out their blog where they describe playing "lowrider" at a car show.

Broken Record Gospel has been getting very mysterious lately. Check out their last two blog entries. What's going on there?

Myself and J.R. both appear on KRAB Sunday night(tonight) at 9:30pm. JR mentions us getting together on the radio to talk shop. There's more from JR as he has been chillin' with Karmahitlist and Billy Von. Maybe he will talk about them tonight? I don't plan on saying much... probably just mutter a few, "uh huhs" and "ummm I dunno, Danny" or "Ya know, JR..." something like that. And then uncomfortable silence and dead air followed by Danny Spanks saying, "......OK...."

Or if I'm in a good mood I'll discuss a few local bands, some controversy, the ghosts of Oleander, my recent country music moments and thoughts as to why the music scene appears to both be crumbling and picking up speed at the same time.

An analysis of Lostocean’s Douse the Choir - By N.L. Belardes

“The clouds sketch black-and-white photographs…”

Do they? Maybe in my mind the plump gloved hands of Cumulus clouds use a 99-color Crayola box to create a waxy cartoony world of cottony dreams…

Aside from a need to proofread their writings a little better I found myself impressed by the Christian-influenced lyrics found within Lostocean’s debut CD, Douse the Choir.

The first track, “Mute” builds on thoughts that imagining segments of one’s own life in the clouds could be good or bad. It’s a great piece of music that dances through an entrancing key change into the album’s second song, “Douse the Choir”. This jazzy Dreampop band, thoroughly a new Bakersfield experiment in sound is captured in the second track, a song of death and longing in a teary contemplation of afterlife and pity for the unsaved, “where the dead cry for their lost below.” Drummer Christopher Short has a completely narrative innocence to his lyricism and should be read simply for his run-together imagery-filled poetics.

Such idealism, though subtle is as poignant as ever in track three. “Solace” is a fast-moving song that continues such themes into a hard drinking bout of unreality in a tormented world that doesn’t listen. “I choke on the witness,” comes the cries of Jeff Gray who begs, “open your heart and receive the cure…” clearly a ballad to the unsaved.

The piano intro of “Stillife” is a mesmerizing movie moment, a score captured for a dramatic cinematic moment in thought: there’s the soft rain, the car headlights, the apathetic man staring, in love. Is it Christian love for someone who knows he can’t exist without feeling heavenly love? is it the lost pain of entranced physical love? That’s clearly left up to the listener to decide as you can play this song like a movie in your own head… The point? This kind of song if analyzed, self-reflected and debated leaves you wondering if others truly feel such a void without God, karma, alcohol, lovers, friendship, church, candy bars, sex, peanut butter, drugs, my blog, you get the idea…

Innocence is lost in the song “Accident” which declares the metaphorical truth of the American Dream is like a car wrecked in a field. The song takes you on a quick journey with some fancy pants guy in an Armani suit realizing he can’t fit his Beamer into a coffin. That’s the short version, but in essence I agree, though in such a capitalistic society, moralistic truths seem to be embedded in the pursuit of a Wealth of Nations… like Las Vegas as the sin-heart, the mad city of lights and the materialistic realization of the American Dream… but then I am going off on a tangent.

“Rest in Grace” is a beautiful lullaby to the memory of lost life. Give it a listen and if the piano doesn’t wrench you, the subtle flow of background sounds that wail in a dark moment of loss from Skyler’s keyboard tears will drain you… Once again, here is a song that plays like the opening of a movie. You can see through the eye of a camera that pans across a small town, just above a tree line and toward the sun…

The jazzy nature of “Your voice, the color of stained glass” is reminiscent of the CDs highly intensive songs that juxtapose with the soothing voice of Jeff Gray. It’s marked further by Skyler’s keyboard rolls that are sure to be a part of his trademark rock energy.

Almost like a dose of Vangelis “I am therefore I think” is the band’s last appeal to the souls of listeners to reach out and do away with worldly confusion…The song slowly begins, turns jazzy, then with distortion breaks into a running instrumental lead-in with tempo changes to a final lyric-filled longing to help the transgressions of humanity with a dose of anti-philosophic emotive wisdom. With a line like “conviction needs no proof” amid the comfort of solitude, the song transforms such ideas into the permanence and potential solitude of a possible rosy pictured stained-glass afterlife. Reminds me of old Thomas Merton in the wilderness, or a lonely guru-shaman on a mountaintop, or Jack Kerouac in the mountains, longing for heavenly boddhisaatva bliss. It’s moaning and catchy ending is so high-powered that you can’t help but be pulled into its driving heart. This is truly the finality in the album with its massive and inspiring rock crescendo even though followed by an incredible movement in track eleven.

By far the most entrancing song on the CD, “Sortir la musique: a movement in Eb minor” is a swirling rock opera waltz, minus the lyrics, and an emotional piece of artwork, as angelic in its disposition as a final CD song as in its own melancholy imperfect beginning. Listen and you will understand. Although this should have been the next to the last song on this CD, what is good about such track positioning is its very nature as a blissful piece of musical genius. The melodic piano rolling across the rhythm and tempo fluctuates in and out of a temperamental mood clearly within Skyler’s head, who is not forceful at all, but patient in building his crescendo into rock operatic moments. That meshes with Jeff Gray’s guitar and a pounding drumbeat that drives along with the constant bass. The importance of such a song? Perhaps the rest of the album is incomplete without such an operatic instrumental ending. An expression of a musical movement, just one part of a rock album that in lyrics contains the rest of the message in a CD by young men who may not see eye-to-eye with their own idealism in just a few years. The young artistic eye has but one glimmer of innocence, and clearly Lost Ocean has captured such in an album worthy of spinning, not for its message as much as its innocence, bravery and romanticism in musical life-telling.

Bakersfield band the Dalloways on a hilarious tour - By N.L. Belardes

I used to read a lot of Salon.com back when it was free. Many of the articles had a sarcastic edge that I just loved to check out. Enter Gerhard Enns, one of the best sarcastic writers I have ever met. He sings in the Dalloways, has a degree in creative writing, and loves to be in the limelight when it comes to his cool cat alternative lounge band. I just read some crazy episodes on the Dalloways blog he wrote regarding their current tour. There was the dead zone in Phoenix, the ass named Denver in Denver, the big payoff in Vegas, a lonely library moment in Salt Lake City, and the guitarist-Sith in New Mexico… I'm sure there's going to be more so check back often. Now go have a chuckle and catch up on what adventure is all about…

Bakersfield High Orchestra at the Harvey - By N.L. Belardes

I happened to be hanging out by the Harvey Auditorium, chewing on some Bazooka bubble gum when I heard the most beautiful violins... Even the leaves on nearby trees upturned themselves for the moment and leaned toward such delicate sounds...



OK, so I meant to attend. I think these students were incredible. For only having three weeks to prepare; for having three movements cut from one of their pieces; for only performing two times all year... It leaves a melancholy place in my heart that such talent doesn't perform four or five times during the school year. Call it my love for the orchestra. I can't help but want more. I can remember back to a moment watching the Tevis orchestra years ago. They were performing an orchestration of the Beatles "Eleanor Rigby." It was a beautiful song, so well prepared, so masterfully orchestrated... and there I was last night, years later, and still finding myself falling into that dream moment when bows run across strings for the evening's first movement...



But then, I can't help but to feel such music...

Local bands play Bakersfield’s Boiler Room - By N.L. Belardes

I’d never been to the Boiler Room out at 23rd and O Street. There, two venues, the Gate and Boiler Room are hidden near the onramp to route 178. They’re part of the same building, an old converted YMCA gym, only the Boiler Room is just what its name implies: an old renovated Boiler Room/basement tucked away down a flight of stairs, only this one is complete with an espresso bar. It’s clean, boxy, sort of looks like the industrial sector has met a creepy mansion interior decorator with its almost macabre flavor and a smallness that borders on claustrophobia.



What I really found was its size accentuates camaraderie and closeness between bands and among people attending. Let’s just say there’s no hiding in the Boiler Room except when the lights go out and the stage lights come on. But even then, you can still see and feel the closeness of the room.


Matildakay kicks it with pal director of The War Days

What I discovered is the Boiler Room is one of the most interesting venues in town. Outside, kids hang out on a spacious well-manicured lawn. Inside, through a back entrance there’s another flight of stairs, this to another room where I saw band members from Norfolk, Johnny Come Lately, Liars and Thieves, From Ritual to Romance and Lost Ocean all milling about, talking, lounging on a couch, and getting their equipment ready to go onstage. There was quite a mix of snacks and coffees too. I didn’t try a mocha drink but probably will next time.

Last Tuesday was a perfect mix of bands. It’s more interesting for me to hear a wide range of music than to, let’s say, listen to music from three bands all from the same genre of music. I get bored too easily. By the third pop band I would surely need a Red Bull injection or Tobasco and toothpicks in my eyes.

Tuesday's mix ranged from Post-Hardcore Screamo in From Ritual to Romance, Alt Country in Norfolk, a visiting band from Texas who I missed called The Elliot Project, and Jazzy Dreampop in the newest Bakersfield experiment in sound, Lostocean.

Let me just say for a moment that Lostocean’s new CD, Douse the Choir is a must buy. I find myself listening to this perfect rainstorm music, so intense, yet with a jazzy mellowness and a smashing edge that seduces listeners. The music comes off a dizzying high in its intensity by finishing with a long overture, "Sotir La Musique: A Movement in Eb Minor", a wonderful piece of musical scoring that puts final touches selling listeners on the idea that young keyboardest Skyler is a sensation to be heard and seen. Although Lostocean played last, they were well worth the wait to see young Skyler work his vibrant keyboard magic.



I should say, although their CD is top rate, these youngsters are in a ‘live’ learning phase. Their raw musical talents, education in theory and performance has lent to some real engineering mastery in their CD mix. However their live performance had a few too many voice effects and some live mixing that didn’t quite match the perfection of much of their CD. Doesn’t matter, they’ve already come a long way from when I saw them perform at Gigantic. And even then I recognized Skyler’s genius. Although the entire band is filled with brilliance...



Most local bands have that one rock star quality performer, and Lostocean is example of that. If you want to witness a local sensation, go catch Skyler perform his magic. Lostocean is a really intense group and is sure to rack up a quick following.

Ruben Val Verde’s band, From Ritual to Romance just keeps surprising me. Not only did he tentatively invite me to a barbecue. We Mexicans can cook it up. You folks who have had my salsa can attest to that. Just go to willieboy.com for the recipe. Now, with that said, these guys have played the Whiskey-a-go-go and are going back for a second run. They were invited the first time around. Why? Bakersfield has its share of post hardcore bands who are further along in their careers. It could be just the raw power and energy in this mostly Chicano band. Raw newness, moldable, impressionable, honest and fun kids... why not bring them in? There’s no egos that I’ve discovered in this group. It could be Val Verde’s ability to hold a scream. I think it’s really a combination of all those qualities, especially their lead guitarist, Macario Guiterrez. This long-haired solo-skilled kid is an aficionado of old school Metallica, and has obviously watched his share of Eddie Van Halen tapes…



What else can I say about the alt country band, Norfolk? Lead man James has been educating me to some of their influences lately. While at work I have been digging the very tragic Elliot Smith, the cool sounds of the Thrills, and Old 97s. James has gone 3-for-3 busting strings which I thought was funny. Norfolk is a great band but does need to do something with dead air during tuning… Drummer Pablo, who I hear is one of the best all-around guitarists in Bakersfield maybe should have a mic to talk shop during such breaks. He let out a wail when James asked him to talk. Doesn’t matter. I’m never leaving. Soon as Norfolk tears into a song, such near meaningless moments as 'dead air' are all but forgotten...

Buck Owens unveils statues of legends in country music - By N.L. Belardes

Squeezing my way through the country crowd at Bakersfield, California’s Crystal Palace, I kept saying “Excuse me. Excuse me. I have to get over to my red-haired girlfriend,” I pointed, and people, well they just let me through. You see, this wasn’t a rock concert where folks’ elbows are up, with feet planted solid so you can’t pass anyone, and where bodies are squeezed so tight on the floor you can’t breathe. This was a historic night at Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace, where to get through the crowd to an up-close center stage position you merely had to have good reason, and then find a circle of trust worthy of letting in a lowly novelist/blogger. The trust issues? Telling people honestly, and with a dose of respect, “I’m in the crowd to write about you and country music.” The circle of trust? I’ll tell you about them in a moment…

A good hour before Buck hit the stage I met Buckaroos drummer Dave Wulfekuehler near the sound booth. I had been looking for one of the stage sound crew, Brent Milton, and wanted to say a hearty “Hello.” But he wasn’t to be found. I did meet Dave. We shook hands and he introduced me to his two cool kids, Alex and John. Talk about having a cool dad. Dave regularly plays for Buck, but last night played for the likes of Garth Brooks, Ray Benson, and newcomers Dierks Bentley and Joe Nichols. Dave was all smiles through the night…



The evening itself was filled with classic Bakersfield country moments, with Garth proposing to Trisha Yearwood, Buck unveiling ten bronze statues, and some performances that will go down as some of Bakersfield’s most memorable.



Buck’s unveiling revealed bronze likenesses that capture iconic music legends in classic poses before playing a quick medley of some of his most popular songs from yesteryear. The statues themselves shimmered in the stagelights, sometimes appearing golden, mysterious, ominous... I looked at them with a sense of childish wonder as such honors are bestowed upon so few. The statues honor country greats and even his old rock and roll friend, Elvis Presley.



Why did he choose such country legends as Cash, Jones, Brooks, Williams and Gills as honorees? “Because I’m the one with the money,” Buck joked. Buck’s a self-made entrepreneur and has the respect of country music for his millions made. He’s got himself an incredible circle of trust with the folks he’s kept company with in the music industry over the years. As for my own circle of trust for the evening?



There was Dave, a Spanish teacher who could sing every line of every George Straight cover song played. He first said, “If you want to be in the circle of trust, you’re going to have to do a dance.” I laughed and handed out some flyers as he shook his hips and flailed his arms. These were great folks to experience a legendary night and have a good time with. I met many others from the circle: Nancy, Amanda, Joey, Mona, Joe (With a double-extra large Honolulu shirt), “Candy Cane” Katie, Nancy, Brock, and of course, ‘A’. Yes, that’s his name. “He did it for the phone book,” someone said. I think he’s a bail bondsman. It’s true. He even showed me his driver’s license.



I asked the group what happened to local country music not long before Stampede, a local country cover band started playing. “Stampede plays out at Ethels. Some of us ride horses up and it’s still really kicking on Friday and Saturday nights… But you’re right, local music has almost disappeared.”

Now this is something I have to explore. Matt Munoz and I are planning a big Honky Tonk hunt for local country music that’s going to be a really great time…

I still wonder if Bakersfield is Nashville West. Buck did say, “Nashville where?” during the evening. Certainly it was a testament that Bakersfield is known as one of the big capitals of country music. Though LA has risen to new country heights, Bakersfield legends, and the notion of Bakersfield as a legendary country music haven are not going anywhere anytime soon.

All in all I had great fun with the ‘circle of trust’. A few people tried to break it by using similar tactics to my own, such as, “My mother is near the front of the stage.” But they were shunned as outlaws and teased to the point of soon vacating the group’s firm position on front-stage territory. Except for a few people who had one-too-many beers and a couple of belligerent folk regarding a nice lady in a wheelchair, the crowd was friendly and extremely excited about this lifetime country music event.



Regarding the big proposal? Was it a staged media event? Probably, but that’s OK. Everyone loved it! And Trisha Yearwood shed real honest-to-goodness tears. I caught her wiping her eyes. You can read about James Burger’s write-up in the Californian and get a hearty dose of the Garth-Trisha debates. You can also view the AP wire that appeared in the BBC, CNN, ABCNEWS.com and more…



Garth, well he sang a bunch of George Straight songs. And the crowd loved him…



I do have to say that Merle Haggard was the most incredible performer of the night. He performed three encores, received a country music achievement award, and let me tell you, like Buck, he plays a mean guitar. “I think Willie is the one who missed out,” he said during his performance, apologizing for Willie Nelson not being able to attend. “Willie sends his apologies,” he smiled. He played classic songs, joked about marijuana, and after saying, “I’m singing this for a few of my friends who are here,” he tore into Okie from Muskogee. “We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee; We don't take our trips on LSD. We don't burn our draft cards down on Main Street…” he sang.





Merle joked about Oildale and Lamont. He sang in his crooning whisper; he laughed in a duet. He propped his black hat onto his award as if he’d just come in from the cold to sing a lonely old country song to a few folks by the fireplace. You could almost see the remaining embers reflecting in his dark glasses. He looked out to the crowd, and said, “We’re going to do this every Wednesday night.” He sang and sang and then sent us home to wonder about legends and the smoky and unforgettable atmosphere of great old-style country music…



After the show I ran into guitarist Peter Prevost from the alt country band Norfolk. I bought him a Snapple at the Arco on Buck Owens Boulevard. "I want to buy a steel guitar," he said. He was in awe of the performance just as I was. Yeah, he should buy one. It's just what you do when you're in a country band...

KooKooNauts, crystal horses, and my metal cds - by N.L. Belardes

Those crazy KooKooNauts. I’m still koo koo for them. I was going to the studio tonight where they’re recording some awesome punk songs, but had to back out. I hope they don’t have their dad kick my tail. I’m kidding. These are all great people who I have been having some fun email conversations with. More on that in a future post. I am going to get a DVD from them and some other goods very soon… Looking forward to it…

Looks like old N.L. is going to watch the sun set over the Crystal Palace tonight. Yes, I will be looking out West, toward freeway ninety-nine and the coastal range, and farther past that, where cowboys sing songs on forgotten cloudtops of beautiful girls and fancy sequin coats. Oh yes, it’s one of those nights. Legends will be in the house. Buck himself on his big crystal horse, George Jones, George Strait, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, the ghost of Elvis and more will be dedicating statues. There’s going to be music. There’s going to be cowboy boots. You know Elvis might stay in the house with this one. He’s going to be a permanent statue. You gotta love Elvis. Remember “Young and beautiful” from Jailhouse Rock? That one still melts the girls…

Now to switch gears for a moment. I have to say that Paul from Exithead is one of the coolest cats around. He always tells a story like it is if you know what I mean. He pulled the plug on my “I don’t own a Metal cd” comment in a previous blog by refreshing my weak memory that he did send one in the mail to me. Now I went ahead and made excuses and said something like, “I have Metal demos…but…” Well you know how excuses go. He’s right, I do own a bunch of metal cds. I should say however that I do need American Standard’s big new shiny packaged cd. I just haven’t gotten my booty down to World Records. These guys have been touring, making a cd, helping the local music scene out in any way they can. You have to give them credit for what they’re doing locally. They’re having an impact… and getting the support they need.

Look forward to my review of the Boiler Room last night. I had never been there before... Got some great pics. I should also have a cd review of Lost Ocean's 'Douse the Choir'... that's it for now...

Has local country music gone missing in Bakersfield? - By N.L. Belardes

What do you know about Bakersfield rock, country, alt rock, rockabilly and how it all ties together here in the Southern San Joaquin? Well read on and you might get educated, and in turn, educate me on any discrepancies you find in this article, as it is meant to scare a few bands out of the shadows to reveal themselves.

With that said, country music didn’t have a hard time getting grounded here in Bakersfield, California years ago. There are entire books on the subject defining how it all began, so there’s no need to go into great detail, unless you haven’t done your homework. Locals have written about such roots from novelist Gerald Haslam to local historian, Katherine Burke and more. Katherine interviewed Buck and got all kinds of great info just a few years ago on the Okie migration, church roots, field working days and old Honky Tonks... I read the original manuscript before publication. It is top rate research. We even celebrated afterwards at the Palace...

Read up and you will find that local country music has all but disappeared from Bakersfield. Oh you can find imported acts beamed into the leading Bakersfield venue on any given night. Anymore, the nexus for country music in Bakersfield is the world renowned Crystal Palace. The heyday for the Bakersfield Sound may be over, but such music is still around. You can listen to Buck Owens, and still hear the influences of Billy Mize, Red Simpson, and that old Blackboard Honky Tonk. There, big bands jammed in an era where country music was even more important than the local football cultural heydays in the mid-20th Century. You've heard of the Junior Rose Bowl, right? As for the rest of Bakersfield? The old Bakersfield Sound has not disappeared completely but certainly has stepped into the shadows where now all that dwells within are alt country and rockabilly sounds that still have a flavor of Bakersfield’s country roots. But who are they? Matt Munoz wrote me a revealing letter that tells all. And I think there’s even more to it once we hear from the country/rockabilly community. But you have to ask yourself, is Los Angeles now the Country Capital of California, or shall I suggest a more fitting name, the New Nashville West?

Many of you know I have a dream to get the agri-roots of Bakersfield rock and alt country into the Crystal Palace. Seems I was schooled by Matt Munoz of Mento Buru as they’ve already played the Palace, count them, SIX times! Incredible! But maybe not if you think how strong the Latino community really is with its local sensation Victor Sanz. And moreso, rockabilly bands like Fatt Katt and the Von Zippers and Dusk Devils who recently played Club Fred in Fresno have tore it up at the Palace as well.

What’s next? A concert celebrating the roots of Bakersfield’s grass roots sounds? Some bluegrass, some alt country, rockabilly, country and a splash of rural rock punk? Could such a historic performance take place?

Take a look at some of Matt’s comments… then think about it. And then let's go explore the Honky Tonks. I've done it before with Katherine Burke herself and listened to old Red Simpson sing his Osama song right at Trouts on pot luck night. And then the dancing begun, and the old timers moved as if they'd never missed a beat. At the time I think Katherine was 85.

N.L. ,
I was just reading some of your old entries about the Bakersfield Country scene. I dig country music and make it to the Crystal Palace whenever I can to see some of my faves like Junior Brown, BR5-49, Asleep at The Wheel & of course, Buck.

I don't understand what happened to the country music scene here. There used to be a few bands, besides Smokin' Armadillos that used to gig pretty regularly. The Dooley Brothers used to play at Rockabilly's, now known as Aldo's on Union Ave. Remember The Funny Farm? It was located there too before it "mysteriously" burnt down. Old school country stylee.

Alt country in Bako is alive for the most part: The Dusk Devils, Fat Katt & The Von Zippers seem to pop-up for a show every once in awhile. I haven't seen Norfolk, but your reviews have me curious. Some bands may refer to their music as "roots music" and not alt-country, but since I hate too many labels, I'll refer to them as alt-country for now. Yes, it's a silly label, but this is my mail and I can say what I want.

Here's an article from a while back about country music in LA & Bakersfield. It's pretty amusing and sad at the same time if you know your Bako country roots. The search for country music brought the reporter here, and guess what happened?

Oh yeah, we can officially be named the first local non-country act to play the Crystal Palace. We've played there about 6 times, four times after Mr. Owens himself. I saw it as a good sign of more things like that to come, but it didn't last. Very few local bands get booked. Not even local country bands can find a home there. It's sad, because it is the nicest live joint in the city. The sound system there is awesome, and the whole operation is first rate.

I have a funny story about when country / tejano star Emilio played the Palace, but I'll tell you later. Picture a house full of rowdy Mexicans and the beer running out. Orale'.....

Peace ese',

Matt

The Crystalline Hidden Seas of Lostocean - By N.L. Belardes

I'm spinning Lostocean's new CD Douse the Choir... it's 12:18 am.
This makes for two new CDs in one day.
Of course I had left it in my friend's car
and just got it back this afternoon...

Right now all I can say is...
amazing. But I need to write more...

Let me think...

Go to World Records right now.
Break down the doors, figure out the alarm code,
But leave money on the table as you leave.
You will want this CD.

Rip the CD from the package,
and run to your car.
Put it in the CD player, and drive.
Drive until the morning breaks
over your dashboard dust.

You know how some musicians play rock and roll?
They make simple sounds into great songs;
They use simple chords.
They arrange them with distortion,
drums and vocals that scream about
the pain of lost girlfriends.

And then some people are pure genius...

You know what a genius is, right?
Yeah, well there are a few in this band.

Some people call me a genius.
But then you haven't read my books yet.
And so you might think I'm full of shit.
But I am a genius.
I use words to build bridges of logic
across the void, to you.
And in a novel, there are many many layers,
kind of like a lost ocean song.
There are so many you won't even know they
are there. You won't understand them.
You won't care about many of them,
even if I were to tell you about them.
But those are the ones that
get you the nobel prize.

The genius of lost ocean...
You can hear it in the musical arrangements.
The genius is there...

You can feel it in the keyboard-piano moments
that weave like a forceful narrative...
That take you somewhere else;
into the dream of music they create
as a unique experience for each listener.
It's locked in the swirl of song;
the music dances like the spark-lit
fire that rages, twisting into the heavens
from a bonfire that is the music itself...
The fire, the smoke, the drums, the piano,
the flames, the sparks, the build-up,
the fuel, the heat, the mix, the crash of wood,
the melody of unexplained complex piano theory;
that I don't understand, but hear.

The poetics are in the music.
And right now,
I can't even explain
how I feel...

CD review: The Dalloways Penalty Crusade, and big tour - By N.L. Belardes

The dalloways hit the road today on their Western/Northwestern Tour. You can read about it on their blog. Gerhard Enns also told me that their cool alternative lounge sounds are going to get even better when they get back as he's ready to hit the studio again.

I never posted my review of their cd that I wrote for CD Baby. Check it out:

With melodic Morrissey undertones, it's as haunting as Lloyd Cole

Reviewer: N.L. Belardes

Hints of Lloyd Cole and even Elvis Costello materialize in The Dalloways debut album Penalty Crusade. But there's more: Refreshing cd art, the people involved--this music is packaged and presented in a way that brings a fresh perspective to Brit Pop. More: Penalty Crusade is a multi-cultural California blend bringing rural and big city undertones to the Anglian influences of British pop icons. The Dalloways can't help but throw in a subtle flow of Latino riffs and American jazz; all with a hard-edged guitar sound that is as melodic as Morrissey and haunting as Lloyd Cole's lyrical lost love ballads...

Do you have a CD you want reviewed? I have one for Lost Ocean. I'm about to write a big review for their new cd Douse the Choir. They told me they're playing on Tuesday night... somewhere... the Boiler room I think... and at MWP soon too.

CD review: 2AM Orchestra's Impermanence - By N.L. Belardes

The melodic sound of “the Builder” off 2am Orchestra’s forthcoming cd, Impermanence provides the subtle grace and jazzy new alternative sounds of a Central Valley band on a mission to create the permanence and lasting lyricism of great music-bourne art. This is emotion-filled alternative pop music pouring right out of the agri-business heart of Central Valley… and that’s just song #1. Enter David J Kelley’s band out of Fresno, California, 2AM Orchestra, together since 2001 and following up on their self-titled cd that had its share of rave reviews.

The second track is a dark acoustic mellow love ballad that really sets the tone with its groaning lyrics singing, “Just say you’re not the one.” There’s a distant tambourine and a grooving bass line that captures the listener. The rhythmic guitar work of track three follows into a rich melody while focusing on David Kelley’s ballad-perfect voice and dark movie-like rainstorm quality… it builds in passion and longing as his voice trails while an orchestral movement builds into a haunting movement. Aptly titled, "Rainy Day"—it’s the perfect name for such self-reflective music. It’s the kind of tune I can loop in my Windows Media Player and write the dark fog-like happenings of a literary denouement. It just keeps the words flowing...

The roots of the Central valley are closely intertwined in the song titles and lyrics of such music. Though compared to Ben Folds Five, Radiohead, and though I can easily compare to the emotive energy of great Sting ballads, I turn such ideas inside-out and would rather expose the heart of the cyclical aspects of agricultural and sometimes overly conservative Central Valley lives we share, all captured in the sounds of 2AM Orchestra. Simply said, their songs reflect a much larger, shared human experience in song titles like "Untouched Earth", "The Old Church", and "The Cycle," not to mention the impermanence of humanity, love and the soil we stand on as captured in the CD title.

"Untouched Earth" is really a masterpiece in alternative pop music. It generates the questioning feelings of unexposed love and fuels pop music into its lyrics as if the very song itself is pouring into the storm drain of your heart. There is a journey in listening to such music that takes the template of a great alternative song and spins it in a perfect circle of sound.

There’s more to be found in the subtle texture of sounds nearly hidden on this cd. Listen carefully and you’ll find a tapestry of echoes, strange noises, sometimes almost a distant wind blowing through the tracks in various simple textures like the rustle of a paper, picked up and shuffled through keyboard textures, violin orchestration, all trailing around lyrics, in between riffs and around the void in broken moments of hidden bass lines. The strength of the final track, “The Cycle” takes the love story of life, that history repeats itself in a Vico-esque tale of spiraling historical forces in the very nature that we breathe... In the end, just after the final note you can't help but let out a sigh and start the cycle all over again...

2AM Orchestra will be at Jerry’s Pizza on July 8th. Who knows, maybe I will put on a disguise and hide in the darkness and give them a 'live' listen …

Keep or kill the news link page - By N.L. Belardes

I need to know if anyone is reading the news links. Please vote to keep or kill the page by emailing to nl@nlbelardes.com. If you don't vote, then I will assume your answer is "no". It's a free news service...

KooKooNauts inspire punk history in The Davenport Article - By N.L. Belardes

It recently came to my attention from this really cool kid, Bryan Gunter H. that I am not giving enough attention to some of the younger bands here in Bakersfield like his band, Bryan and the KooKooNauts and that Psychobilly band, The NightCrawlers. I don't totally agree with that. But I give such comments my respect because I am about to publish an article here written by some kid I don't know named Johnny Davenport. I'll refer to it here on out as 'The Davenport Article'. For all I know, Johnny Davenport might not exist. He might be Bryan himself. But I shall give the benefit of the doubt: Bryan claims Johnny is a friend from school, so I believe him.

Either way, ‘The Davenport Article’ is an engaging piece of punk rock history that includes nostalgia and a great inside look at a Bakersfield hardcore punk band. Sounds like Johnny used old Jeremy Cravens as one of his sources. Now, me and Jeremy go way back to the days before he played punk rock in Four More Feet. Heck, I wrote Bryan from the KooKooNauts that I once prayed for Jeremy's pet rat back in the 1980s. How's that for brotherly love?

Now I know punk history here in Bakersfield is more than what this next article claims. The Davenport Article is a partially history at best. To truly grasp punk history in Bakersfield you have to dig into the heads of bands like The Filthies or Primer Grey. You have to research and data mine at a much deeper level and talk to bands about what used to happen on the very streets themselves, like the old hero from high school days of the Filthies, a cool kid, a major influence gunned down mysteriously in the dark streets near Oleander. He was a kid on punk streets, in the Bakersfield shadows who could play punk and who influenced young punks with his ability to play great music and rebel with that age-old anarchy slogan painted on a denim coat... and you have to go back to the 1970s and 1980s. The article mentions them, but gives full credit to Bam Bams in 1990 as the nexus of punkdom.

There were punks, I saw them, befriended them around 1978/1979 when I was part of the first busload to help desegregate Emerson Junior High. The old James Green and Greg Seaton punks... I knew them hanging out on South Chester Avenue. And that was just one group of them... Makes me wonder, who the punk bands were in the 1970s and 1980s in Bakersfield? Did they exist? I believe they did. Whose garages were they playing in? Did they perform live in Bakersfield? Did they have to tour to get their music heard?

I believe the history of punk rock in Bakersfield can be broken down into these categories. So if you have information for any of them, please, send an email to nl@nlbelardes.com:

1970s:
1980s:
1990s:
2000s:
The venues:
The bands:
Important people:
Life on the streets:

Now read ‘The Davenport Article’. It heavily promotes the KooKooNauts. But so what? It’s already part of punk history…

KOO KOO FOR THE KOOKOONAUTS
By Johnny Davenport

Every once in a while you find a band that you connect with and really are taken by their style, songs, singing or musicianship. In my case I got lucky, it was a local punk/ska band, and to me they had all the above in abundant amounts and they played somewhere in town, or neighboring towns almost every weekend. I have been following the band for quite some time now. I took pleasure in researching them, and on several occasions interviewing them. Now I take pride in sharing my favorite band with you, and band that took its name from a space theme board game, "The KooKooNauts".

To understand who and what the KooKooNauts are, you have to understand Bakersfield punk and punk history. Using back issues of Blackboard Magazine I have come up with a fairly accurate background and lead-in to the Kookoonaut story.

Punk comes to Bakersfield a little late, but no worse for the wait. Bands existed through the `70s and `80s. Then, according to punk historian Jeremy Cravens, "In 1990 a club called Bam Bam's opened in Bakersfield. Bam Bam's promoted, and put on punk shows every weekend. In this Gulf War Era, Bakersfield punk thrived." Craven's Bakersfield Scene reports that "Bakersfield had it's own style of hardcore (punk)," and his list of the better bands of the early 90s were as follows: Big Jed, Primer Gray, Hossbrutten, Chaotic Evil, Midget Toss, Active Ingredients, and Six Feet Under. According to Billy S. The first wave of Bakersfield punk, from roughly the same time as the Ramones, Germs, Misfits, Dead Kennedys, etc., produced local bands like Teen Suicide, The Lizards, The Contaminators, The Gags and more. After that first wave ended, the bands became too numerous to mention. There was the original Primer Grey, with the infamous Bodie Chavis, Steve Crooks, Todd Short and Dave Butler, and the song that was on everyone's lips at the time, "Hey You! What You Lookin' At?" There were the Feelers, Big Jed, Fatal Vision, and lots more.

When I discovered hardcore punk in 2002, the punk scene in Bakersfield revolved, for the most part, around the underground cavern that is the basement theater of Jerry's Pizza on Chester in downtown Bakersfield. Jerry's is reminiscent of the 1963 Cavern Club in Britain where the Beatles began their career. The atmosphere is amazing: three black wooden staircases lead you into a punk underworld; this blackened, brick-walled underground cavern comes alive as darkness falls outside. The bright white stage lights break the underground darkness with silhouettes of majestic mohawks and liberty-spiked punks who cast thunder from the stage as the mosh pit raves like a fevered tribal war dance. From above creeps the smell of Jerry's famous pizza, breaking the historic musk below. Above the cavern is the actual pizzeria. In the bar-like register with its glass circular pizza warmer, a slice is a mere buck fifty. There are a couple of wooden booth tables for your dining pleasure, two roof-mounted televisions and a really frightening clown gumball machine. Occasionally the oxygen bar man is there, doing his flavored air thing.

Jerry came to Downtown Bakersfield in 1992 with old country traditions for pizza baked on a stone hearth. The best part, though, is the thunderous outpouring of sound from the bands below in the cavern. This is the ultimate in dining atmosphere for the punk and early rock music connoisseur. If you want to relive those early 1960s days at the Cavern Club, come to a punk show some night at Jerry's. The most active current (JUNE 2002) punk bands in Bakersfield included these: Active Ingredients, The Pin Ups, Crimson Stained Nails, Missing in Action (later renamed Urban Regression and then KooKooNauts), The Condemned, The Allied and Commotion.
Of the original 90s bands, only Active Ingredients still plays on a regular basis. They have a new drummer and several CDs out on a local label and are reportedly in the middle of recording a new full-length CD at Bakersfield's own Pig Studios. The Condemned played frequently at Jerry's Pizza and occasionally at the Porterville Veterans' Park Festivals; they write most of their own songs. Missing in Action often opens (plays warm-up) for many out-of-town bands at Jerry's, (They also play Studio 45 and the Porterville Veterans' park festivals). The Condemned and Missing in Action are the more hardcore bands of the Bakersfield punk community. They are high-powered and in your face. The mosh pits get smoke'n with these youngsters. After I got over being scared of them, I really enjoyed their driving melodies and aggressively charged, screaming lyrics.

The next period in Bakersfield punk was a bit darker, punk was pushed out of the music scene by a music called "new metal". Such music was, or of, the old fat guys that aren't that good, so they shave their heads, grow a goatee and tune their guitar to "Drop D". Guys that aren't real hot guitar slingers even sound good. Open turnings are strange that way. Take the early blues slide players; the were good on standard turnings. But when Robert Johnson came back from the cross roads with the open "Spanish" tuning he changed the world. Several punk-like bands made it OK during this period, and several sprung up. The notable ones being Active Ingredients, Crimson Stained Nails, Bury the Hatchet and of coarse, the KooKooNauts.

Many people were still koo koo for the KooKooNauts, a band that had now evolved into something new, different and amazingly good, sort of a Rancid meets Richie Vallins. The lead Guitar and vocalist had developed a master of both crafts that was both unique and tasteful. He still kept a bit of that rough punk edge from the early years, and they are still in high school with years to mature.

The KooKooNauts went through several transformation during this period. The original members met in drum line and included a bass player named Kurt. Kurt basically coached through the learning process to a mastery of the instrument by the guitar player and front man Bryan Gunter H. Kurt now slaps the four string like a pro.
Bryan is a self-taught musician. In elementary school he taught himself how to read music and within only a few weeks tried out and made the school band where his instructor (Jr. high / elementary) Mr. Bar was amazed at the speed of his mastery of woodwinds.

A few short weeks later he tried out and made the cut for the prestigious Kern County Honor Band and to top things off, made first chair over students much his senior in both age and experience. Later Bryan switched to the bass and ended up playing at the massive Centennial Gardens at a halftime show for the Blitz football team. It was no stretch for him to jump from the bass to the guitar and from there it was just a lot of hard work and playing shows by the dozen.

James H., Bryan's older brother by two years also came from drum line and moved over to the set and his speed and technique filled the bands rhythm section with thunder. The three boys had been in a band called Urban Regression that had also played often in the local Bakersfield venues.

That band broke up as the elder brother James went to drum with the local Psychobilly sensation "The Night Crawlers". Later, a Halloween festival at CSUB needed more bands so some of the Urban Regression formed the KooKooNauts to play the show. The band did so well that they stayed together. Several of the Night Crawlers filtered in and out of the KooKooNauts. The two bands often played shows together on the same bill. This was a mutual beneficial relationship, often yielding fairly large crowds at shows at local venues such as Jerry's, the Gate-Boiler Room , and Down Town Records and so on.

One of the shows went nuts when the large crowd was accosted by a mad man in a guerrilla suit with light flashing red lights as eye balls. The crowd went wild and a fight started on the floor between some street punks as the KooKooNauts played on. When the fight was broken up by a bouncer the apeman mounted the Night Crawler's stand-up bass and started humping it feverishly. It was one of the funniest things I had ever seen in my life and I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself.

It was this time period when both bands recorded their first demo Cds with a school friend, John T. John was in a band called Amigo Diaz (sp?) with the old Drummer from the Condemned. Amigo Diaz also played on the same billing with the KooKooNauts and Night Crawlers from time to time. The KooKooNauts sold over 300 of the demo CDs for a buck each with the first two weeks of its creation.

Later they began giving the two song CD demo away free and as many as a thousand have been burned and distributed locally. The songs were "Inevitable", a song warning of ‘judgment day’ on those whom destroy nature. “Inevitable” was a local hit for a time around the high school and at shows where dozens of folks would often come up and sing along. At one point even the Night Crawlers covered the tune. My favorite part is the lead-in: "humans are the parasite, earth is our host, wide spread panic from coast to coast." Amazing Chuck Berry-type guitar riffs rounds out this great tune.

Another song of that demo is "Take Me to Serious,” a passionate punk love song that was quite the favorite among high school kids struck with the love bug.
One day there was a falling out and the bands no longer functioned together and the three bands went their separate ways. It was never clear to me what had separated the bands but it was a bit tragic. At this time the KooKooNauts added a keyboard player named John and they played shows with him for a while and the sound was very interesting. They drew a lot of positive attention to the band. One day however John's mother made him quit the Kookoonuats. It was speculated he quit because of bad grades but who knows. This happened with an earlier drummer as well.

After the keyboard player departed the band signed up at Bakersfield Sound Studios for another demo cd and I have not heard the status on this project just yet. Last night at the Corner Stone Church, the stained glass was rattling. Hardcore Bands from near and far were laying down the laws with the thunder of Gibson and Fender guitars, and earth-shaking drum flurries and rumbling bass lines. Man this stuff was awesome! Crimson Stained Nails, Active Ingredients, The KooKooNauts and several other bands were rockin' the hollowed ground. The KooKooNauts played a new set, dropping the usual burning rendition of Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" for the Misfits "Last Caress" and dropping "Inevitable" for a new Celtic sounding number about medieval knights.

The other parts of the set were unchanged and they played one of my favorites "The March" and you will have to pick up their new CD to hear that for yourselves. As the night wore on it was brought up by the KooKooNauts that some one or some group has been pulling down their posters and shredding them on their front lawn and throwing raw eggs all over their car and house. If you think this sucks you are correct, but what was worse is that Active Ingredients was sited and fined $147.00 for posting their flyers. They speculated that Jerry's or Nate may have reported them and filed a complaint.

They we called hypocrite for doing so as they post more posters than any one and post them with permanent postal tape. The KooKooNauts speculated that it may have been some of their old friends from the bands they used to play shows with but don't know for sure. I look forward to attending many KooKooNauts shows in the future and hey, hope to see you there!

JR of Illpressed comments on The War Days - By N.L. Belardes

Check out the post from JR of Illpressed who attended The War Days, then read the rest on his blog:

He looks a little like a young Francis Ford Coppola. I took this pic just as the lights turned on and the credits finished rolling on his debut film "War Days". His name is Landen Belardes and he is just 14 years old!

The Vietnam era war flick was shot on location here in Kern County and scored with songs from local bands. The acting is all amateur, the equipment used to film and edit is all simple stuff. I think it's great that a kid of this age...

Shirl the Pearl takes a hike - By N.L. Belardes

Yes, it's true. Three Chord Whore's punk queen Shirl has left her royal crown behind and sprouted wings for some other girly Queendom. These dark angels of post-grunge angst will be needing a new lead singer. Wanna try out? Better get your vocals ready to scream it! Maybe Shane from the old days of Melodrose will step in with a big wig and sequin Elvis jacket. Oh come on Shane!

The War Days shines on the big screen - by N.L. Belardes

(images coming later today)

Local amateur filmmaker Landen Belardes paced the floor like Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland as his movie The War Days played to a crowded house in downtown Bakersfield. I saw him wander up the movie house stairs and even disappear from the theatre once. “I couldn’t help it!” Landen said. It was his nerves.

There was a heavy round of cheers and applause as the credits rolled and Kenny Mount rounded out the movie on a cameo blooper reel with take after take of him with his one big line, “Stay out of trouble, boy!” The movie had begun with a Broken Record Gospel song being played to Kenny Mount’s character giving actor Landen Belardes a ride to the park on his vintage Moto Gussi motorcycle.

Talk about vroom vroom…

The movie was a big success as the crowd hollered and whistled to a young filmmaker’s war movie dream come true on the big screen. The movie itself brought laughs and sadness to the audience as it depicts kids amid the uncertainty of war during the Vietnam conflict. “It’s a movie about friends,” said director Landen Belardes. “Friends have to learn how to bond in different ways whether it’s here in America or away at war.” The movie depicts several friends, two of which are at odds with each other, who then go off to fight in the same unit in the Vietnam countryside. The film’s violence and mild use of adult language would have easily placed this movie in the PG category. Although the creepiest scene to me was the one with the big spider. You could see it crawling on the end of a machine gun as a soldier peered through large clumps of grass to search for an unseen enemy. “Gooks were like boogeymen…they haunted us,” the narrator says in one dark scene.

“It really is a triumph for young people in the city of Bakersfield,” said local novelist N.L. Belardes, and father of The War Day’s director. “It’s a proud moment to be a parent. You know, to see creative energy unfold from any kid like this is a triumph. But when it comes from your own, it’s even better.”

Both director/editer/actor Landen Belardes and film actor Shaun Alaniz appeared on KGET to promote the film, with highlights from the film showing throughout the night.

“It’s a Belardes family day,” said N.L. “Landen had this great film on the news, we had Star Wars chalk drawings in the news, and a Star Wars blog on the homepage of Bakersfield.com. What else can a family ask for? We can’t help being so creative and fun in one day!”

There were however some gliches on the evening. Typical Bakersfield band problems affected the venue’s turnout after the film. Attendance for local music is always an issue and after the movie a lot of folks simply skeedaddled. Seven to the Right and Broken Record Gospel, two great local bands sadly were cut for the evening, while Liars and Thieves and The Filthies both played and were as exciting as ever! The Filthies had an incredible light show and an old black-and-white Flash Gordon movie played in the background for an artsy punk atmosphere. Kids flocked the stage for their autographs after the show.

More controversy? Another gliche is a criticism of local academics who were all a ‘no show’. These kinds of artistic and cultural events are rare, so Bakersfield should academically support such filmmakers. Isn’t it in the Vision 2020 plan to be culturally responsible by supporting youth in all the arts? Such kids are destined for college, not truck driving. With that said, Curran Middle School sent no staff representatives to the film. “With all the great press they received it’s just shameful that not one person from the Curran staff attended,” said one parent. I heartily agree. There was no teacher or principal at the show. That included earlier in the day when no school representative greeted the news at Curran when KGET arrived. That’s called a missed PR opportunity. “These inner city schools with revolving door principals; how can they really care about kids?” said another parent. “Don’t they realize The War Days isn’t your typical student film?” I agree. Such projects are artistic triumphs to pull off both on location filming and in the editing room; and it was kids that did it. The media recognized the value of The War Days… Maybe it is just a show for schools to put on such a front and act like they support kids, but then don’t. I plan on getting to the bottom of why Curran failed miserably in supporting such an artistic venture… they certainly owe the actors and director an apology... Maybe they can make it up by having a screening at the school one evening? Charge students 2 bucks and use the money for their PTA.

A big hearty thank you goes out to the local media who truly recognized Landen’s filmmaking prowess and the value of this community-building cultural and artistic event. It’s not everyday that such triumphs occur for kids.

As for the next movie? Perhaps a horror film. Maybe something darker. We did just recently watch Anakin’s transformation to the dark side… maybe a haunted Halloween movie festival with a guest appearance from Arthur Chilling? Stay tuned...

The War Days Student Film at the Spotlight today and KGET interviews - By N.L. Belardes

KGET was out at Curran Middle School today to interview that very creative director of The War Days student film, Landen Belardes. Tonight, The War Days premieres for a one-time show at the Spotlight Theatre at 6:30 pm.

I wandered down to see what all the haps was about. I met KGET reporter, Natasha... she did a great job interviewing The War Days director for the news today. Landen was a bit gun shy but she still dragged some good info out of him. Those directors, they get tongue-tied because they're always thinking about their next great flick. Reminded me of my own interview with the director when he talked of dodging cows, cow patties, stinging nettles and blowing up marshmallow peeps in the microwave.

Actor Shaun Alaniz gave a great interview and that was followed up with some good discussion about kid creativity that can inspire other kids throughout the city...

Why not? "Kids dream. They just need to realize their dreams, act them out," I said.

I asked KGET to come out tonight to the premiere. Will they show up? I don't know. They just might.

But you should.

There are few tickets left for the movie that's followed by four local bands whose music was donated for the film...

Mrs. Chewbacca, Mrs. Darth Vader, Mrs. Yoda and the Evolution of the Star Wars Crowd - By N.L Belardes

Were you at the Episode III premiere last night? I was at Edwards Cinemas. I want to know your experience... or a Star Wars experience. In the meantime, here's mine:

By about Jenna Montez’ 25th light saber duel I finally lost interest. That was after she whooped the director of The War Days in a finger-crushing duel, and long after she challenged Justin: the biggest bad-ass Jedi I have ever seen. Cloaked in Jedi garb from head to toe, he wielded his light saber like I one day wish to wield my pen: oh to swing it mightier than your average laser sword!

Justin was amazed at Jenna’s deftness with her teacher’s plastic blue light saber. She put up a feisty parry-thrust-slash, and I’m not even sure who won as a crowd had gathered like this Jedi match was a major schoolyard bruhaha.

Jenna had been in line with a group of friends: Echo, Nadine, Sara, her brother who digs the Beat Generation, and a few others. Like typical fans, they played games, they laughed and they dueled. Her battles were just some of the ‘fan duels for the ages’ I was to witness last night and clearly showed me that Star Wars crowds had come of age just like the movies… No more standing in line like you’re bored and waiting for the Haunted Mansion’s ghosts to scare you. It’s time for you to be a part of the show.



Also in line was Michelle, sort of your hip Irish version of a princess Leia. She passed out free Gatorade and talked a mile a minute about Star Wars like it was this past Easter’s Golden Egg. After the move she had a smile on her face like she could finally sleep at night. It was all over. Or is it? Anyway, just up the line Adam had a chessboard resting on a skateboard where he used old-fashioned Jedi mind tricks to sweep three games in a row… He told me he barely won. But I don’t know about that.

I pulled out some pastels and quickly got into the spirit with funky sidewalk art as I scratched out several character parodies: Mrs. Chewbacca, Mrs. Yoda (she looked a little too much like Mrs. Shrek), and my favorite, a pink-helmeted version of Darth Vader with bright blue eye coverings and a pair of fancy Death Star earrings. Her helmet simply glimmered. We even added an ‘unfinished Death Star’ until the spirit-breaking ‘security on bikes’ smashed our pop culture Star Wars expressionistic experience by telling us we were defacing cement. Did he think chalk doesn’t wash off sidewalks? One cup of water whooshes such cultural moments into memory. Just ask the kid who spilled a soda on Mrs. Chewbacca’s big red lips… oo la la!





Now just how did this Star Wars crowd really come of age? Years ago when I stood in line for Empire’s first showing, there were no Jedis, stormtroopers, or Darth Vaders dressed to the hilt. This first showing there were serious collectors showing off memorabilia, fancy LED sabers, Jedis everywhere, princess Leias (including one young blondie about 5 years old who has my vote for the cutest kid-Leia ever) Hollywood-folk showed up to promote the film as extravagant Imperial guards, storm troopers, biker scouts, an ominous and very tall Darth Vader, and an emperor. There were duels everywhere, music blasting, video games blaring, trivia, and a whole lot of proud personalities showing off their own particular spirit of the Star Wars couture.





I met other folk in the crowd. I had a quick conversation with Brian who was convinced (and so am I) that Lucas and Spielberg are going to team up for an extravagant episode seven. All the band members from the very cool band Lost Ocean hung out in the shade. I had my most interesting conversation of the day with keyboardist extraordinaire, Skyler regarding the philosophy of creativity in performance. It was a surreal conversation near the popcorn machines after the lines went inside; it was of a depth of understanding that to write, to perform, to create necessarily needs the psychological removal of self-imposed mental obstacles. We discussed how creativity can fall into haphazard digressions when faced with the self-realization of pondering self-critical thoughts while creating/performing. But that’s another discussion altogether. These guys gave me their cd Douse the Choir, which I am going to spin and give you all my two cents worth very soon… we talked about me going on KRAB radio on the 29th. Maybe I could spin one of their tracks? You can buy their cd at World Records.

I even bumped into Danny Spanks of KRAB after the show. He smoked a cigarette and looked glum as he wandered through the parking lot. He shook his head in major disappointment. I could empathize. I wanted to see the Rebellion, not just the seeds of it. I wanted the acting to be better. I wanted Amidala’s death scene to be more tragic… Here’s what I wrote as a comment on The Reel’s Star Wars blog as my quick and dirty two cents:

The beginning of the movie was the most epic and awesome sci-fi cinematics ever! The rest was total Star Wars: great light saber duels, bad acting, intriguing plot, tragedy, and a creepy Emperor that will for sure give little kiddies nightmares...

You can watch a video and read about some of the folks in line at Edwards on The Reel. There's a mini movie link that provides a great interview. It shows an awesome duel and several cool fans, but doesn’t give you the feel of how the spirit of Star Wars infected the crowd that night: it became a festive occasion in a symphony of swinging Star Wars light sabers, mixed with the cheer and chatter of excited fans, Hollywood-style characters, sparkling lights and happy children and adults.



The video does capture the build-up to a crescendo for Star Wars fans, all realizing that when darkness fell, the partying would truly begin. You can even see a glimpse of Mrs. Chewbacca before she faded away into oblivion…

Confessions of a Star Wars geek - By N.L. Belardes

I was 8 or 9 nine years old. Even though I thought Close Encounters was the movie to end all movies (because of its cerebral aspects of alien-influenced psychological mind games on humanity) Star Wars still took a place all its own in my childhood dreams; and in the end, had a far longer lasting impact.

Yes, I was a cerebral kid. I was reading novels at a young age. But then, I was also trying to take over the planet ala an imaginary Spaceman Spiff comic book style. And that’s because Star Wars had its influence on my sense of daring and adventure. The power of its story on young boys was in its Western shoot-em-up adventure style and epic villains. I could relate on a social make-believe playtime scale that was out of this world (I hate clichés). Yet it was much easier to play Luke vs. 10,000 screaming stormtroopers and Darth Vaders than it was to pretend I was Richard Dreyfus running to Devil’s Tower like the mountain itself were some kind of fat Buddha poised on the landscape to banter about the mothership.

The clay armies I made back in 1977 were of a massive Star Wars scale of vast battles and epic cinematics in imaginary warfare. I had to do it. Just what else does a young boy do when he’s tired of throwing rocks at squirrels in dirt fields, or when he tires of building vast armies out of plastic armymen, where marbles were laser blasts that came rolling and bouncing over hapless rebel warriors (who all happened to look like WWII soldiers). The plastic blue-grey Germans were fine. They were already the evil Empire. But the clay armies. I would spend hours creating those… and the epic battles that resulted… at the very least were much more messy than today’s more painful Lego Star Wars battles, where pieces of galactic ships or snap-together Jedi body parts get lost on carpets, only to be stepped on in the middle of the night by some unsuspecting parent who might scream, “Ow! Damn it, Luke’s head!” The clay just gets squished into the carpet. A whole epic problem in its own…

I remember the old UA Six theatres in Bakersfield, now low budget sound system dollar theatres that may still be haunted. Did you ever hear the ghost stories of the old man with the cigar? Another time perhaps. I was still just a young boy of 13 or 14 when I went to the first showing of Empire Strikes Back. I showed up early, maybe 8 am, and already there was a long line. We waited for hours. Finally, my mother, brother and I squeezed into the second row, far along the right side of the theatre. But that didn’t matter. We were there for what was possibly the greatest movie viewing of all time.

Forget today’s age of movie trailers and spoilers. It wasn’t like that in 1981. There were no video game spoilers, no online teaser trailers, no Hyperspace buy-ins for exclusive photos and videos, no mega-media campaigns that gave away the secret color of Luke’s diaper pins. Which reminds me of the greatest movie trailer moment of all time: The Empire Strikes Back. I was sitting in a theatre in LA somewhere and suddenly there was a snowy scene followed by the cold metal stomping of At-Ats. Whoah! What’s this? An 11-year-old boy’s dream come true? Space battles, robot assault craft, and Star Wars, again?? I couldn’t wait. And there I was, finally in the theatre to watch Empire… And yet I didn’t know what was about to happen… because secrets then were just that: secrets.

The light saber duel: pure magic. Who knew light sabers and flying Jedi tricks could be so cool? This wasn’t your typical tale of fallen knights. I can still hear the gasp of the audience as Darth echoed, “I am your father.” I was horrified myself. And the appearance of Yoda. The laughter, the giggling of fathers, grandfathers, boys and girls, and my own mother who never lived to see the saga complete. But then, she didn’t live to see the horrors of 2001… or another war of lost servicemen.

And when Yoda says, “There is another…” whoah… what did that mean at that moment in that theatre to a young child? An amazing movie where secrets were only revealed on the screen in front of you as you saw them.

And so years later the philosophy of Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth infected me. It was me who gave Brad Alexander, Star Wars lead animator my own copy of the Power of Myth, complete with notes that he read again and again as he worked on Episode’s II and III. I educated him on the theory of the tragic fallen hero and the idea that Han was really an isolated ego-philosopher much like the Han dynasty’s introspective look at itself as the center of the universe. In a way, I had my own impact on two of the films because I helped one of their creators create with a deeper passion.

Such works of popular culture infected me further… into my very own literature. In Lords: Part One, Star Wars is mentioned only as a popular culture homo-erotic reference “…the hard nails on those hands digging in during the flick, this time Star Wars: Chewbacca humping that cowboy Han amongst the tumbleweed stars against the reality of Minstrel’s soft flesh.” What am I thinking? Am I blaspheming the very essence of Star Wars? Or am I just taking advantage of their sense of popular culture to a protagonist who couldn’t see the adventure in imagination that most of us saw?

But even before that in my 1998 novel, The Citrus Girl, the character of Ms. Fin is likened to C3PO as she belt’s out “We’re doomed!” because she has an obsessive compulsive disorder and an uncanny knack of regurgitating green burritos from Taco Bell so she can continue looking thin and robot-like. In Diva, the space opera singer main character I write about has two robotic sidekicks, both like over-sized C3POs, but with paisley skirts and rosy holographic make-up. These would be the fem-bot freaked out Star Wars versions that can only pour from a mind like mine: still obsessed with Star Wars from such a young age.

Tonight’s premiere is just a continuation of such popular culture dreams. When the Phantom Menace came out, a whole new generation began to experience the theatre geekness of the ‘first showing’. You might even remember one of my kids as the ‘Infamous Jedi who tried to lop off a newscaster’s head with a light saber’ during the first night’s showing of Attack of the Clones. I’ll never forget. I wasn’t looking and I was talking to this guy who had a portable TV. He suddenly says, “Hey, is that your kid? He’s on TV trying to kill the newscaster!” And I suddenly see my kid pretending to chop off the newscaster’s head on live TV! It was a proud papa moment for sure…

Oh yes, I could confess to even more. But why do that? You have plenty of Star Wars episodes in your own life to confess to… Feel free to write them down for me and I will share them as further confessions of Star Wars geeks… But only if you’re willing to tell…

May the Force be with you tonight at the Midnight showing…

Artists, please make use of culture calendar

Bands are not making use of my culture calendar... Instead of just using MySpace and Bakotopia, why not utilize the culture calendar? Just format to the specifications and send in an email to nl@nlbelardes.com

Once again, if bands, artists and theatres don't make use of every possible local culture calendar, then lots of folks will be missing out...

Kenny Mount rides motorcycle in The War Days - By N.L. Belardes

What?? You haven't bought your tickets for the May 19th 6:30pm premiere?? By goodness get your buns down to the Spotlight Theatre and get tickets before they run out! Or just call and order...

The War Days, starring Shaun Alaniz, Seth Cervantes, Matt Prieto, Jordan Belardes, Anthony Prieto, and Landen Belardes also has a guest star cameo. You guessed it already? No you didn't. Don't tell Enrique, but Kenny Mount of the Filthies is the only adult in The War Days. He has a special rip-roaring motorcycle scene that you just can't miss...

Now quit sitting by your computer waiting for my next post. Go buy your tickets!

Norfolk marries KRAB, reception following - by N.L. Belardes

OK, there wasn't a wedding, but I got your attention. If you haven't been keeping up on your reading on local music gossip since last Thursday, shame on you. If you have, then you will understand where Norfolk's letter to me today fits in on the whole Thursday Night War controversy. Seems that KRAB Radio called up Norfolk and communicated their interests/concerns with last Thursday night's show after reading some rather 'slap in the face' articles and letters right here on my site. In return, Norfolk spilled some beans on their interests/concerns. Glad to see old N.L.'s remarks could bring group love in the end... Kudos all around!

As a side note I should point out that in my other Thursday Night War articles on nlbelardes.com/musicrev.html, I never wrote about winners, just about my personal musical interests while trying to say a little about each band. I always write with the slant of featuring one band over others in an article; makes for more of an interesting read; sort of how controversy and entertainment makes for an interesting read as well; feature a band, or feature controversy, or feature both! A great template... With that said, see what happens when I talk about winners and losers? Gets kind of mucky doesn't it? Don't forget that I'm just a little novelist writing some teeny narratives about the music and art scene...

I spoke to the mother of the four year old Mohawk kid today... now that was an interesting conversation. Seems that kid though the spirit of a Yokut God was calling from the Vesper box. He was simply paying homage with his sacrificial ticket... OK, just kidding on that one...

Here's the letter from James Ratliff of Norfolk:


N.L.,
So here it is:
Danny Spanks from KRAB radio called me up today to dicuss the Battle of the Bands situation. We aired out all of our laundry and made amends. It turns out, for the most part, it was just a misunderstanding. After hearing the KRAB side I realized we were both fighting for the same war, but on seperate fronts. KRAB radio is concerned with providing an outlet for musicians other than Jerry's and are willing to use their station to rally support for the locals.

This was a key concern of Danny's while on the phone with him. The station felt that a Battle type show would make the Montgomery World shows more interesting for the crowd. From what Danny said, it turns out that many bands have been displeased with the battle concept. KRAB is now looking to finish this one out and start up some non-partisan shows. They also apologized for poor communication during the arrangment of the show, which caused the Pangolese to be cut short. Danny was completely supportive of local music and totally optomistic for the future of the local scene.

After our conversation I felt an obligation to support their efforts in trying to do something new with the Bakersfield music scene and I have to apologize for my earlier condemnation of KRAB. In the eyes of Norfolk, KRAB radio is no longer Satan's tool for world destruction and impending doom (although they came pretty close when they got rid of the Mark and Brian show.)

James

Rocky Horror Show extended, and Enrique writes another fabulous dysfunctional theatre review - by N.L. Belardes

Maybe you haven’t seen the Rocky Horror Show. Maybe you saw it and want to see it again. Maybe you haven’t read my review, or Enrique Fuentes’ Dysfunctional Theatre Review of this Bakersfield Community Theatre musical… either way, you're missing the hilarity, the sexy actresses and actors, the rowdiness, oh, and a great show... please go!

New Rocky Horrors dates added!

Friday, May 20 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 21 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 21 at MIDNIGHT

Friday, May 27 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 28 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 28 at MIDNIGHT


Oh you know it's got to be a white wedding...


Her beauty steals the show, but not Frank N. Furter's heart

Local Music on the radio - by N.L. Belardes

For the first time in years I intentionally listened to KRAB Radio. I haven’t listened to any radio at all since listening to Radio Bilingue a few years ago when I wanted to up my Spanish vocabulary... I watch zero TV for that matter too. Who has time for it? Now, why was I listening in on Danny Spanks' take on local music?

It was simply because a band asked me to listen. So why not? Although I only listened to about half the show, I did hear Brian Head Welch, Adema, Vesper, American Standard and Soulajar.

Danny Spanks made comment that over the "last seven days I hadn't gotten any emails...then suddenly 10-15 emails from people wanting Soulajar to be played. I don't know if it was from a street team, family, friends, whatever... Sorry I haven't played them before...a round of applause for Soulajar..." I guess he liked them. You could hear him clapping in the studio. He plugged them pretty good even though he let out a few sly chuckles, and even offered to put them into a regular rotation. But then he invited me onto the show too, and I don't know yet if he always follows through with what he promises... but that's still a great sign for Soulajar to get some needed airplay.

I should add KRAB played Soulajar's song, 'After Her', a melodic jazz-influenced rock ballad. He even plugged both their homepage at soulajar.com and their myspace site...

He gave great kudos to American Standard's re-mastered song, 'Empty Inside' and of Mark DeLeon's prowess at not only music but the hook-ups at Mad Dog Tattoo. I'm sure you all have heard of Mark DeLeon. I see him around but I haven't met him and I hear wonderful things about what he has single-handedly done to help the local music scene. Three cheers for Mark DeLeon, his band American Standard who has a new cd out (get it at World Records), and Soulajar for getting plugged so well to the thousands in Bakersfield, out of Bakersfield, and those just passing through on the 99...

Shane leaves Melodrose - By N.L. Belardes

More gossip in the local music scene... a little birdie told me this one about the screaming lead singer of Melodrose:

...heads up. Shane left Melodrose. But Melodrose isn't broke up and they're looking for a new singer i believe. Yep I got the news before you again. Watch out. Here I come to steal your job! :)

And Melodrose posted this message on MySpace:

Shane has quit the band! and joined another band! ...in his own words, "This should have happened a long time ago"! He never told anyone of us about it. We had to find out about it on someones comments on myspace !! But Melodrose is still going to be rockin... give us some time we will have a new singer...
for the record!!!!MELODROSE DID NOT BREAK UP WE JUST HAD OUR SINGER QUIT !




so that means there is going to be try outs if your interested! email us back!!

Norfolk criticizes KRAB, responds to the Thursday night debacle - by N.L. Belardes

Norfolk isn't to be left out of the recent Vesper/Norfolk debacle recently chronicled on my site where I suggest a four-year-old kid provided the random deciding vote to a contest that might otherwise have ended in a tie. Norfolk points fingers at KRAB while also suggesting the tie didn't matter as they weren't interested in competing at all. Here are frontman James Ratliff's comments to me regarding the May 12th event and subsequent discussions and outbursts from both me and Vesper, although I didn't even post what Tyler and I wrote to each other. He and I slapped each other in the face a few times, but that doesn't matter. He and I kissed and made up. Read on:

N.L.,
Thanks for showing up on Thursday with no request on our part. Normally we would go about getting the word out for a show through your site and many other avenues of promotion. We found this "battle of the bands" to be so ridiculous that we felt no need to promote in the usual way (although I did send out myspace invitations to friends). When I was first contacted by the KRAB radio representitve I told them they had contacted the wrong band to work with and they assured me this was to take KRAB radio in a new direction (NO KRABland battles or the normal nu-metal shows they thrive off of).

Their "new direction" threw Norfolk and Pangolese into a very uncomfortable situation. We both found ourselves in the same absurd "KRABland battle of the bands" that we had no interest of competing in. This was with no contact from KRAB. They gave us a date and location with no other details. I ran across our KRABland battle promotion on their site, which they assured us would not happen. At this point Norfolk and Pangolese decided that we would play, but with no intention of competing with any of the bands.

Here is our invitation from myspace: "Norfolk, Pangolese, and Vesper at a KRAB battle of the bands (although we really don't want to compete with any of these guys.)" We also made sure that the majority of our people, band members and non-band members, did not vote either way. This battle ticket system that KRAB uses is to increase ticket sales for themselves and in no way can calculate the value of a band's music. The more people that turn in their 5$ for your band, the better your bands music is. We know this is "TRUE" because we see the top 20 record sells chock-full of desirable, good, quality bands. It's a rare occasion that I find a good band in the top 20. This is the concept that Pangolese and ourselves are adamantly against.

Pangolese were cut short because they showed up after their scheduled time, even though no one from KRAB radio ever told them what time they would be playing or even contacted them at all. The entire show was set up for both bands through 2 very short emails to me, which I understood Pangolese were playing just prior to us and we were last (no time schedule). I played the show for our few friends standing in the front laughing their butts off while Norfolk struggled through a contrived set of songs after a few difficulties.

Hopefully it was fun for everyone despite KRAB trying to take advantage of people because they control a Bakersfield mass media station. Honestly, none of the Vesper situation would have taken place if not for our friends at KRAB radio. Norfolk will never intentionally work alongside KRAB radio until they can shoot strait, but then again thats what we get for working with them at all.

Thanks, James

Update on The Poster War - by N.L. Belardes

Received an email update on The Poster War. Backtracking from any finger-pointing at the alleged baseball bat of poor consciousness, punksters have made this claim about rival punksters in the Bakersfield music scene who might be causing some mischief:


> N.L., Thanks you for the note...The thing with
> the KOOKOONAUTS, the eggings and thrashed posters
> was probably rival punk bands
> that are jealous...
> Thanks..Buzz

Just what is going on in the scene? Punk bands vs. punk bands? Or is it something else? Where's the comradarie? At least me and Vesper aren't egging each other... by the way, Tyler smoothed that over and set me straight. He received an apology for an angry response from me... is all balanced in the universe again. I hope! developing...

Original Post changed. Sorry Folks...- By N.L. Belardes

Content deleted. Just this one post. Sorry folks.

Alex and AJ DJ it up at Xanders - N.L. Belardes

It was a late night prowl I was on. I'd posted some DJ happenings, so then I had to check them out... I did and you know what? They're sill mixing it up; so get on down there... Now if you're looking for a wide mix of music from two of the most happening DJs in town, then check out Alex and AJ down at Xanders.. These guys have an intense amount of energy and love for for what they do.



The restaurant may be empty, but enter and take the stairs...
Down below is a beautiful room with tables, chairs, couches...


Have a drink, listen to the mixdown...





Alex hard at work with the funky tunes


Setting the spin free...

Alex has a new hairdo! Plus Gigantic new shows! - by N.L. Belardes

Yes, it's true, that jam master DJ of polyester afro-hairstyles has a whole new thing going on! But for one moment, forget about the hair. There are some GIGANTIC shows going on... look at these flyers. Get your fashion/music mix on, babies...




This one is already going on...


The same groove, the new 'do'... get it, baby...

The Billy Von Project - By N.L. Belardes

I was on JR’s site today and read about Billy Von looking for a guitarist. Have you been to his MySpace site? It’s an anthem to the creative mind and what it does as artists search for their place in the creative world… Billy’s got some experimental music going on that’s worth a listen; 4 tracks worth. ‘I am a manSSATW’ is mellow self-reflective, self-judging piece of music that gets a bit Vangelis-sounding as if dragged from the Blade Runner soundtrack. I really like it; very dark and ominous. ‘The 5th that we shared’ is an anthem about man meeting self, getting to understand who we are as people… 'Devil’s Mark' is filled with samples, echoing drumbeats and a keyboard-made groan of various textures. The sampled lyrics remind me of Edward Humes novel, Mean Justice and the molestation case witch hunts that took over the nation in the 1980s (many later overturned). I will leave you to the last song to figure out what it’s all about… definitely a sadistic look at what it’s like when we peer into the darker side of the human experience…

Create a band blog.... please Vesper?

By the way, I once again invite bands to do a band blog. Vesper improperly pointed out that I somehow favor bands who do blogs. Does Ritual to Romance have a blog? I have stopped promoting blogs because bands just won't do it. I find something positive to review about every band, and most don't have blogs... so... And why do I do it? It's no great secret to bands that I am networking as an artist. I tell bands that...

As for Vesper, I know that every reader judges bands/people for themselves. As I mentioned in recent Berg-related articles, I don't wield some kind of magical power over the people of Bakersfield. So go listen to Vesper and judge for yourself. Am I wrong for suggesting Norfolk has marketing potential in the alt country realm? I didn't find a marketing angle in Vesper, but didn't mean I hated them... go listen. They might rock your socks off.

As for me, I'm still giggling...

Oh and as for bands like Vesper, as a friend in the music industry intimated recently: Bands like Vesper won't go very far because of their overt sensitivity. There are real 'paid' critics, and many many in the music community who are way harsher than me. If you have thin skin, then you won't go anywhere because of the inability to take criticism...

Don't people understand that any press is good press? Why do you think I stopped replying to he-who-shall-not-be-named? He thrives on bad press...

Vesper sides with Nate Berg, blogger opinion is overrated - by N.L. Belardes

It's hard to believe that after praising Vesper's on-stage energy, that they would blast me for expressing my opinion of the voting process. Heck, I was just trying to find a controverstial angle to make the evening sound interesting since practically no one was there...

Sounds a bit defensive to me, but you can read for yourself and judge the ol' Nickster's slammin'. I didn't even have the heart to read it all because the email sounded like some poor disgrunted bandmember who couldn't see the positive and the marketing spin I was putting on their energy. It's kind of funny, because I'm just a blogger on the Web. I'm not a journalist. This Chris guy thinks I'm a journalist? OK, moreso, I'm a novelist.

I don't get paid to express my opinion. And I do admit, this wasn't the first time I printed anything remotely negative, which in this case, wasn't about a band, but a voting process... I beg for Paula Abdul to come and fix this... but it is funny that a few little words from me could mean anything to anyone. I guess Vesper won't be coming to my book signing. Does that make me a networking failure?

Oh, and I wasn't being harsh. I will refrain from being harsh. I like Vesper. They have some good energy, and I am always uplifting Tyler's strong musicianship. Their guitarist on the other hand, needs to take some Peptol... but maybe you all agree with him that I am taking away from their victory... but then, I attend these band battles and I hear what the bands say every week: it's a popularity contest and doesn't mean crap. I feel bad for From Ritual to Romance, now they are caught in the middle of a heated debate... OK, so it isn't heated at all, it's funny... Oh, and if you think I don't make fun of bands, I make fun of everybody. Look at Kenny Mount. I pick on that guy a lot. But then he's a punk and deserves it...

Imagine if I would have actually expressed a poor review, like "Vesper is great to listen to while vaccuuming, so you can drown it out; their name is misleading, like you should be listening to a really decent church choir..." you get the point... I didn't do that... these guys have me so wrong. I met From Ritual to Romance once. I was in the mood to write something nice about them. And I don't even own a metal cd...

Get out your tissues and read on, peeps:



> Alright, I know you're entitled to your opinion,
> and I respect that, but I have to take exception to
> this. I like Norfolk, I think they are very talented
> and a great band, and I've known they're drummer for
> years. I understand that you disagree with the
> outcome of Thursday's show, but you're retelling of
> us seemed a little harsh. Let me start by saying
> that as far as I know we had seven (7) people there
> to see us. I doubt seven (7) votes put us in the tie
> with Norfolk. Secondly, yes the girl was our guitar
> players girlfriend, but she truly had not cast her
> vote yet, so nothing unfair. In the spirit of irony,
> I should tell you one member of our band actually
> voted for Norfolk, so the tie was only by virtue of
> party crossing. It's true it's possible that some
> people may have voted before seeing all bands, but
> when you get people who come to see you they're
> obliviously going to vote for you, but again, let me
> stress seven (7). Also, please don't make the
> mistake that people only voted for us when they
> voted early. I believe there was a slightly larger
> crowd for us then for Norfolk and I don't remember
> many of the people standing for Norfolk even in the
> building when we played, so I doubt they listened to
> every band and cast a unbiased vote.
>
> "making for possibly the most random victory ever
> for a Bakersfield band battle."
>
> Look you gotta understand, we were very proud of
> this, we beat some good bands. I want to thank you
> for ruining this for me personally. I know one of
> your bands lost, but it wasn't a controversy, they
> just lost. I'm sorry, next time we'll lose to any
> band that has a blog on your site. You're absolutely
> right, crowds should never, ever, consider stage
> presence when voting for a battle of the bands. Like
> I said earlier, I really like Norfolk, I consider
> them more of a Rooney meets Pedro the Lion then alt
> country, but I assume you got that label straight
> from them. Anyways, they played great, and sounded
> great, but we weren't the worse band to ever pick up
> an instrument. And we're proud of the energy we put
> forth. I didn't feel that night was our best show,
> but the energy still transferred, and WE WON.
>
> I don't like being portrayed as a mockery:
>
> "these guys have great energy because they are in
> love with their own music. I swear they were going
> to kiss themselves the way Tyler swings that bass
> like he's dancing with a cherub. But you know I'm
> just teasing. Self-love is not a bad thing; just
> shows their joy of performing. Now Enrique sure
> tried to stir up trouble with that top ten best and
> worst dressed list and Vesper wasn't on it. I was
> waiting to see if their front man Chris was going to
> go 'Flock of Seagulls' as Enrique hoped. But no, it
> wasn't happening. These are just a group of normal
> guys out to rock the town with fast tunes and even a
> rocking cover of "I wear my sunglasses at night,"
> but without the glam flash. I was kind of scared at
> first with the Corey Hart cover. Reminded me of a
> prom in the 80s. That's what you might call, 'back
> in the day'. Barf. But it was fun and they took the
> song to a new hard-rocking level."
>
> I give you these excerpts so that you may read
> them after knowing that I've read them. My hope is
> that this will change the context of the statements
> from playful disappointment to journalist tantram.
> Go ahead and take cheap shots if you makes you feel
> better. I think bringing fashion into a musical
> disagreement is somewhat trite. But I'm no punk
> aficionado from the '70's and true I've not written
> several published books, so I'm sure I'll stand
> corrected.
>
> In closing I'd just like to say that I've
> followed you for awhile and was very much impressed
> with your Jerry's and Nate expose' and I've read
> you're reviews of bands. Let me question one more
> thing before I leave you, it regards the From Ritual
> to Romance review. I saw that show. I was there. I
> saw them play. Your review is very, very, very
> flattering. I did not see what you saw. I saw a
> singer who could scream in one note, and when it
> came time to sing a melody, there was no chosen key
> to speak of. I saw a band with a bit of persona but
> lacking tightness and a strong vocalist. Potential
> for sure, but nothing deserving of the praise given.
> Please don't get me wrong, this is not an attack on
> the band, more so an attack on the review. I've seen
> their MySpace page and the guy seems like a
> competent manager, he seems to be everyone's friend
> and that what it really takes because this is after
> all a popularity contest right? And isn't Vesper the
> Prom Queen this year? Didn't the singer from FRTR
> tell you he read your site EVERY DAY? This is after
> all a popularity contest right? Maybe handing a cd
> to you was not enough to garner your respect. I am
> sorry we could not win you over with our stage
> presence and PowerMellowPower rock. Perhaps I should
> have said how much I supported your site, but
> hindsight is 20/20. I am most sorry to see that your
> site is not what I hoped it was. In my eyes it was a
> true revival, a place where preconceptions were set
> aside in the name of art. This is apparently not
> true when a blogging band loses, or when the general
> public at a show disagrees with you. Again, you are
> entitled to you're opinion, and I respect that, but
> for me you've ruined a proud moment. We are trying
> to build a reputation in this city, and had been
> doing a good job, and I want to say thank you for
> dissipating all that work. We are now the crappy
> band that didn't deserve to beat Norfolk and plays
> that silly 80's song and has a singer reminiscent of
> Flock of Seagulls. Well I tip my hat to you and say
> good day.
>
> Sincerely,
> Chris Patterson
> Singer/Guitarist of Vesper
> www.vesperonline.com
> www.myspace.com

Punks at Cornerstone and The Poster War - by N.L. Belardes

The other day I was hanging out at the Spotlight and I was told how great Active Ingredients really are, and how awesome it is for bands to be playing at a clean venue, like the one over at Cornerstone Church where Active Ingredients were billed to play along with the Kookoonauts et. al.

I'm kookoo for kookoonauts!! I'm sorry, I just love that line.

Well yesterday I was walking downtown and saw a light pole just choked with packaging/postal tape. It was near Bakersfield High, and I'm telling you, this lightpole didn't need a push-up bra the tape had been wrapped around the pole so many times. Lift and separate those flyers, lift and separate. You know, can you imagine the person needing to clean those posts and poles? And who circles a pole that many times? There's only been one dust storm of 1977's power. Ease up. Leave some for sending packages to Paraguay. I want to know. Are there reports out there of sightings where people are seen holding posters and ringing lightpoles with fairy dust in their hair and singing ring around the rosy all rosy-cheeked with childhood skipping glee?

OK, so I have an active imagination, but just when I wanted to let dead dogs lie, I got word of more local wrongdoings. Here's the email I just received titled, "POSTER WAR IN B-TOWN":

Last night at the Corner Stone Church, the stained glass was rattlin'. Hardcore Bands from near and far were layin ' the laws with the thunder of Gibson and Fender guitars, and earth shaking drum flurries and rumbling bass lines. Man this stuff is awesome! Crimson Stained Nails, Active Ingrdeiants, The Kookoonauts and several other bands were rockin the hollowed ground...

It was brought up by the Kookoonats that some one or some group has been pulling down their posters and shredding them on their front lawn and throwing raw eggs all over their car and house. If you think this sucks you are correct, but what was worse is that Active Ingredients was cited and fined $147. 00 for posting their flyers. They said they thought Jerry's or Nate Berg possibly reported them and filed a complaint. They were called hypocrites for doing so as they post more posters than any one and post them with permanent postal tape...

The punk war goes on..

Controversy of the kid with the mohawk/ Norfolk rises in alt country - By N.L. Belardes

Why are you missing the controversy? Because you want to boycott band battles? Because band battles are pointless popularity contests? I see your argument. But you still miss out on the music, and yummy cheap burgers made by a delightful little Latino lady who puts as much care into each burger as my grandmother used to in the menudo and homemade tortillas she would make…

Week 1: May 5, 2005: Controversy abounded when a motley crew of fans ripped down the KRAB Radio banner from the stage. I caught one image as a next generation punk finished the job.



The banner went crashing to the floor amid rowdy cheers. Ahh, the rebelliousness of youth. Was that The War Days film director? Talk about controversy following a kid everywhere…a future big budget filmmaker getting rowdy at such an innocent young age...

Of course I missed the Hips and one other band that played. The Hips are a great band out of Bakersfield who tour around quite a bit. They’re politically conscious and one of the leading boycotting bands regarding the Jerry’s Pizza controversy. I really like the Hips, they’re one of my favorite local bands that I haven’t seen live. They have a great punk style captured on cd (includes live performances). If you haven’t heard them, please do.

Gramercy Riff followed up with a screaming performance that had nearly everyone in the band yelling lyrics that could tear a hole in just about anyone’s soul. Joel’s guitar style is masterful. He rips into these solos that just gouge your heartstrings. I see them any chance I can… the guitar work is that good. So full of energy and passion in a uniquely melodic hard-rocking style. Joel did tell me that they are making a new cd... I hope they finish it soon...




Broken Record Gospel, a bit dizzy from lack of practices recovered well and poured themselves into a rocking set where I saw local bohemians in the crowd dancing to their punk funk groove. For a moment I almost slipped into Bakersfield Bukowski mode. I tend to want to write about the dark bohemian drift that often accompanies this band. Bobby and Roseamber were in the crowd, hugging as usual. They enjoyed the richness of the music along with the darkness of such a literary moment that I often capture. Broken Record Gospel is one of those bands that when they hit certain notes you just can’t help but get into their new Bakersfield experiment in sound…






Week 2: May 12, 2005: More Controversy... At the end of the night Danny Spanks announced a tie. There was still one ticket holder in the crowd, a fan of Vesper. I think she may have been the girlfriend of the guitarist. There weren’t a lot of people in the crowd so it was easy to people-watch young couples… Although Vesper clearly was not the best band of the night, as I mentioned earlier, this is a popularity contest and so you know where the girl put her ticket. Of course the real controversy occurred not because of her voting for her favorite band, but because of a little boy. Probably around 4 years old with a Mohawk, his mom let him vote before hearing all of the bands. I saw him plop his ticket into the Vesper box… making for possibly the most random victory ever for a Bakersfield band battle. Where’s Paula Abdul when you need her? Oh yeah, sleeping with the contestants… silly me.

Late as usual I only caught a glimpse of the Night Crawlers. Not really sure what to think of them as I was busy buying a burger... Friend, Matildakay saw some dude she knew who was the parent of two twins in the band. I can say they were loud and rowdy and were slamming a bass on the ground in some loud funky way. I don't mind that at all... Seriously, these guys are a psychobilly band, very dark and spooky... Give them a listen on MySpace... they're kind of like Brian Setzer with a Munstered-out trip going on...



They were followed up with Pangolese, a power-pop rock band ala the Pixies. James Ratliff had passed me just before Pangolese took the stage and said, “This is the loudest band in Bakersfield.” He was right. Pangolese was so loud that I went and had an orange sherbet ice cream cone and listened from outside of the Latino dance floor. I think my ears are still ringing. I need to listen to them more... I'm a big fan of the Pixies... you know they're playing in LA, right? (Favorite concert of all time: Pixies and Sugarcubes opened for U2 on Achtung Baby Tour)



Vesper took the stage with pride. Tyler and the Wranglers old star, ‘Tyler’ was on board to play bass. Now let me tell you, these guys have great energy because they are in love with their own music. I swear they were going to kiss themselves the way Tyler swings that bass like he’s dancing with a cherub. But you know I’m just teasing. Self-love is not a bad thing; just shows their joy of performing. Now Enrique sure tried to stir up trouble with that top ten best and worst dressed list and Vesper was on it. I was waiting to see if their front man Chris was going to go ‘Flock of Seagulls’ as Enrique hoped. But no, it wasn’t happening. These are just a group of normal guys out to rock the town with fast tunes and even a rocking cover of “I wear my sunglasses at night,” but without the glam flash. I was kind of scared at first with the Corey Hart cover. Reminded me of a prom in the 80s. That’s what you might call, ‘back in the day’. Barf. But it was fun and they took the song to a new hard-rocking level…


Tyler and the Wrangvesps

Enter Norfolk. I picture lead man, James Ratliff waking up early, around 3am. He gets going for the day and drives a truck to Fresno. He heads through agriculture country, through the smells of cherry blossom freeways and almond orchard rows while tap-tap-tappin’ out new songs on the steering wheel. The soil along this route is as rich as any agricultural Mecca. And yet it’s just dirt, and that’s where roots grow. His songs take you back to roots. Clearly the cowpunk band of the city, Norfolk is not rockabilly, but rocking alt country with songs about love, loss, and humanness, and with a gritty full country sound that will grab and shake you.



I’ve seen members of bands compliment Norfolk left and right. They are respected by the rock community. But put James in a white T-shirt and boots and these guys are playing at Mesa Marin raceway at the next big rodeo day concert as the ‘crossover’ band in town. Could this be the New Bakersfield Sound? Could this be, not a revival, but a reformation of a genre into an alt country rock scene that Bakersfield lacks? Who could be the first rock band to play the Crystal Palace…? The Crystal Palace gets a nation-wide audience, you know. And Norfolk does deserve to play there. You tell me, what should a band do to get noticed?



Do you folks know your history? Tiger by the Tail? Act Naturally? Buck Owens? The Beatles and Bakersfield? Red Simpson? The Blackboard? You know, part of the problem around Bakersfield is that this city does not understand its rich country music history. Doesn’t mean you have to like it. But to understand its influence, its power not just on country-western music, but on all genres of music…

I’m not sure Bakersfield understands the nation-wide influence of alt country. Who headlined Coachella with Coldplay? Wilco. Don’t underestimate the power of this movement long out of Chicago and Austin. The Jayhawks, Jay Farrar, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, Trailer Bride, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle… all big names in a big movement. Can Norfolk be one of them? I think so… they’re that good, and they’re out of Bakersfield, the Nashville West. That has clout. You better believe Jeff Tweedy would turn his head and wonder if Norfolk knew Buck, Merle and Dwight.



What an incredible night to hear Norfolk, even when James destroyed his guitar, or when he tore into song after song with incredible guitar work from Peter Prevost, and a bass that captured country moods in Jason Ford Turner’s powerful and energetic playing…

Why do you folks insist in missing these gems of bands?

There’s something good to hear in every one of them…

And like I said. The burgers are really good, and cheap!

Tears shed at The War Days sound test - by N.L. Belardes

I was walking home yesteday, about to cross Eye Street when I bumped into reporter at large, James Burger. "How are you?" he said.

"I'm just trying to stir up trouble with my blog."

"I can see that," he smiled.

I've been getting emails from folks in the music community who had a good laugh about some recent trouble stirred up regarding threats I received. It was all some debate-centered fun, but it was time to move on.

And then Burger talked a little bit of politics... "You know, how politics can stir up debate. I like that."

I agreed, kind of like the Vietnam theme in the War Days Movie and the politics of sending kids to war...

Two days ago, I was at the Spotlight Theatre while they tested sound for the upcoming premiere of the blood and guts movie Landen Belardes directed, The War Days. Their sound man, Danny, watched the film and suddenly said, "Oh man!" He was full of tears...

It had just hit him that here was a film by kids who captured the spirit of Vietnam, who captured how kids were sent off to war, not really knowing what they were doing, or where they were going, while barely holding onto friendships. "My friends who died over there were like these kids," he said. His eyes were red, full of tears for the uncertainty of war, for the pain of lost friends. At first he said, "Please don't tell anyone I cried." But then upon further reflection he said, "You know what. You can tell people. Because this film is that important. I had so many friends who died who were just like these kids..."

The average age of death for an American soldier in Vietnam? 19...

The average age for an actor in the War Days movie? 14

The News "Star Wars" style - By N.L. Belardes

If you are a news junky. OK, even if you're not. If you love Star Wars, then don't forget to check out my news blog page where everyday I surf the valley and coastal news for the most newsworthy stories of the day. Now until the premiere my blog has a special blend of Star Wars spirit mixed in, just for you Anakin junkies out there...

The War Days film press release - by N.L. Belardes

For more information: May 12, 2005
The Noveltown Group
P.O. Box 10115
Bakersfield, CA 93389
661.900.2353
melody@noveltown.net


The War Days Student film to premiere at the Spotlight Theatre

Students from Curran Middle School, Tevis Junior High, and Bakersfield High have teamed together to make a poignant Vietnam-era short film that features music from local bands.


BAKERSFIELD, Calif., May 12, 2005 – if you thought Windtalkers was the only big war movie to premiere in downtown Bakersfield, think again. The War Days is on its way May 19th for a one-time showing at the historic Spotlight Theatre. The premiere includes the movie at 6:30 pm, followed by four local bands whose music is featured in student-made film.

“The War Days is about how all these friends who have known each other go to war together, and two who hated each other have to go too… through the movie they bond…” says actor/director and Curran 8th grader, Landen Belardes, who is also the film’s screenwriter, star actor, and film editor.

And if that isn’t enough, The War Days recently had its share of controversy. Because of the film’s use of violence, there was a band that pulled out because they didn’t want to be affiliated with war and violence in film. (Read an interview with the director and his discussion of such topics as violence in The War Days).

“The War Days was an exciting film to make, and completely on location in Kern County. We dodged cows, spiders, cow patties, and got our share of stinging plants, all because I wanted to make a movie for my project at school,” says Landen Belardes.

On May 19th right after the movie at 6:30pm, from 7-10 pm, music will be performed by Broken Record Gospel, Liars and Thieves, Seven to the Right, and rural rock punksters, The Filthies.

Contact the Spotlight Theatre regarding tickets at 634.0692. Tickets went on sale May 12th.

###

The War Days Tickets on sale Thursday - by N.L. Belardes

Get this... all proceeds from ticket sales goes to the bands
(minus rental fee)
So... pack the house and the bands make some coffee money
for once... who ever heard of such a thing in Bakersfield??

I hear bands get tired of playing for free...

Like the flyer says, it's one night only.

Support kids, support film makers, support bands,
and support the Spotlight Theatre in this one-of-a-kind
blood and guts war film and band night extravaganza...!

And don't forget the cafe will be open the night of the show.
Maybe Ben will make you a roast beef sandwich. Ben???

Foreign MySpace band of the day: Cold Remember - by N.L. Belardes

Cold Remember, a post-hardcore band out of the agricultural landscape of Fresno, California fits nicely into that hard-rocking scene just 100 or so miles to the south along the Southern Valley rim. Unless you want to go ahead and admit it’s a valley scene… Now this came about because Sean from the band wrote to me and let me know they has new demo stuff online… And I gave it a listen… more than once.

This five fab from Fresno appears mellow upon first listen to their ‘Untitled’ song. Give it about 45 seconds and it speeds up into one of the best melodic adrenalin rushes I have heard in a while. I’ve listened to this song about five times in a row and keep enjoying the build-up to its emotion-driven ending. But you have to listen to it all the way through to feel the impact and value of this song.

I’m thinking the rest of you will enjoy ‘Fist fight in a phone booth’. There’s your valley angst in a song right there. It screams, it sings, it transitions back and forth between softly seducing to screaming at you for being human.

These guys need to put more into their site. But I like their enthusiasm, “There's five of us. We like music, so we create it. You create something.” Now there’s a message we should all listen to… Go ahead, ask yourself what you have created today. And while you’re thinking, spin that song ‘untitled’ again and again. When the ending comes driving in like a rainstorm you might just feel inspired with creative thoughts of your own. Get to know Cold Remember, I'm sure I'll be writing about them again.

A Letter from the Blackboard regarding Nate Berg - by N.L. Belardes

That's a wrap, folks! I'm guessing I should just ignore the supposed Mr. Berg's emails...could be a dastardly ploy for press. See what you think:

Hey there Nick!

Boy oh boy oh boy. This whole Nate Burg nonsense is just becoming a lot hoo-ha, isn't it? It's too bad he does this kind of negative stuff to drum up publicity rather than positive things.

The reality is, The Blackboard stopped running pieces on Nate Burg because I felt it was a waste of time investing ink on that tiny, small person.

I ran a letter to the editor criticizing how he handled a show, hopefully and naively, so he'd change his ways. Instead, he called us and threatened to sue us for slander (and anyone with half a brain knows that a newspaper gets sued for libel, not slander). I got emails from a number of people that he was running around downtown with copies of the newspaper BRAGGING about the bad press. "Look what the Blackboard is saying about me!" I guess some people just don't get it.

Coincidently a band's manager requested we cover a gig at Jerry's Pizza, and when our reporter went to do the event, Nate held her up at the door and refused to let her in because, "Her editor talked a lot of shit about him." The band got screwed in the deal and a lot of bad feedback got returned to the New York publicists doing the promotion.

Nate tried very hard to stay in [bad] print in the Blackboard, calling and leaving threatening voice mails on the phone, trying to ramp up drama, but we never returned his calls. He called about two or three months after being so offended with being called a Nazi, and talked to my wife. He was complaining about the Valley Plaza Security finding methamphetamine on him and harassing him for it. He said they beat him up in the back room. (And almost as an afterthought, it occurred to him to deny that he had the tweak on him in the first place.) My wife pawned him off, saying I was busy and would call him back. He left a voice mail trying to scare up the same story a couple of days later, but we ignored him.

I think Nate Burg's reality is a little warped, because the decision to stop covering him had nothing to do with calling him a Nazi, offending his Jewish heritage, and any implied fallout of doing that. It had to do with Nate Burg being a small person. No matter what we tried to make everyone happy, Nate kept up with drama and garbage rather than presenting solutions. I was hoping he'd combat the asshole reputation he developed by using the newspaper to set up a new gig for the rapper that he left out in the cold and extend an olive branch to the writer he locked out of his club. Instead he lived up to his reputation and made matters worse, threatening lawyers and (ahem!) slander. I'd rather not deal with small people, so I dropped him like rotten meat...

peace
Jason Rickett, Editor-in-Chief
The Blackboard Free Press
http://www.theblackboardfreepress.com
jrickett@theblackboardfreepress.com

More letters, threats and intimidation: author responds - by N.L. Belardes

Nick Belardes, again off the record. I never called anyone a
fruitpicker or a Chichano where did you get that, I made a metaphor regarding
marketplace decision making. I will be circulating this whole exchange
unless there is a full retraction and a backing off, i have already
contacted attorney Dickerson and Law and you will be hearing from them if
this matter is to continue, again please back off. Mine and my families
feelings are in jeopardy if you regard me as a Nazi General. I would
suggest an apology. Media conglomerates are both far and wide, as you know
Opinion is fine, i dont deny you your opinion
It is just that your taste is to be decried, and it has been noted
Again, we are monitoring the situation, Nick
Though my father is retired, he spent 21 years at the Bakersfield
Californian Newspaper

Nathaniel Berg






PS. I have plenty of lawyer allies if you want to waist your time.

--- HEXAGON3@aol.com wrote:
> Again, more insensitive stuff Nick, this will all
> see the light of day. I am willing to forgive you if
> you would just admit that you crossed the line. I
> like your blog, it is very important to the music
> scene here in Bakersfield Ca. and I want to see it
> contain all the positive material that a arts/music
> blog should contain. You have a great voice and
> should use this platform that you have talentedly
> created to voice positivity, not racial or religious
> insensitivity that me, or other people of Jewish
> descent have carried for 70 years.
>
> Yours
>
> Nathan Berg
>




Dear Supposed Nate Berg:

Backing off? I believe you’re the one who wrote to me first today. I am only writing in response to your letters. Since you don’t seem to get it: once again, per your previous agreement via email, no email from you is ever considered off the record and is publishable. If you would like, I can send that email back to you for your records... so, if you don't want your words published, then cease writing to me.

Off what record anyway? I'm not a journalist. I'm a blogger. I am not held by journalistic standards... I have no contract with the Californian that says what/how/what language I should use to write. In fact, I have in writing from the Californian that my content will not be managed...

And, for that matter, I am providing no further apologies, for I did not, nor ever would degrade your great grandfather... A Nazi general? I called you a Nazi general? Which Nazi general did I call you? I'm sure you are taking that out of context, whatever you are reading... Any Nazi word is in relation to the context of Jerry's Pizza personnel as alleged intimidators of downtown businesses with a baseball bat, which Nazi's were intimidators. While you're at it, why don't you go and sue Seinfeld for using the term, 'Soup Nazi'...

Give me a break. You ever read Chaim Potok's works? I have. He was a great Jewish writer. His books are ingenious works about tolerance...

With affection,

Nick Belardes

Lords of Bakersfield-style attempt by The Rock and Roll Farm to intimidate novelist - By N.L. Belardes

Good grief, I thought I was done expressing the word on the street about Jerry’s Pizza. I mean, downtown is really dead these days what with murders, Gigantic being gone and Wing Wah’s being gutted as if some cowboy DeNiro shrugged his shoulders, smirked and flicked his cigarette into the Chinese food restaurant window...

Perhaps I recently experienced an attempt at intimidation because I didn’t post Mr. Berg’s last letter sent to me back on April 23rd. I’m sorry, Mr. Berg. I hadn’t heard any stories lately other than Chris of Ridikule complaining that he and his band were ignored. But then, how many Bakersfield bands does that make?

I had become bored with the Jerry’s Pizza articles. I thought enough had been stated on either side. You know, I’m not a journalist. I’m not held by journalistic standards. I’m not trained per say, as a journalist, and yet kind of journalist-like I wonder if it is Mr. Berg who has been writing to me all along? Do email letters prove who a source is? I don’t know. I doubt it. All of this could be hogwash… Maybe Nate Berg really is someone who sits around and actually frets about the direction of kids these days… I doubt it.

Perhaps there are other reasons altogether as to why this supposed Mr. Berg would suddenly attempt to intimidate me, a novelist who simply blogs about the word on the street. Perhaps he thinks there is backlash from my articles and so Mr. Berg feels it necessary to intimidate or ‘get back at’ me. And why? For expressing my opinion of the news on the street? That’s hilarious. Does he think I have power over the people, when I don’t? I don’t tell people what to do. I didn’t organize a boycott. The bands did. I don’t even know if it has had any effect. Is there even truly a boycott? And how many bands are involved? I don’t know. I reported about the boycott. But I haven’t substantiated it by interviewing Jerry’s Pizza.

People don’t make up their minds whether to boycott or not simply because I wrote an article. Don’t build me up, Mr. Berg. I don’t have that kind of influence. I report. And you want to end my reporting? Ending my reporting and my freedom to express my opinion doesn’t end the word on the street! Simple as that. Maybe some kind of nilly-willy secret Lords of Bakersfield style machinations of the Rock and Roll Farm are going on that I’m not aware of as the alleged Nazi-like controllers of downtown music scene seek to take away my freedom of speech… I’m sure there are such secret meetings. “Und vey shall put an end to free musick und art speech!” they might say in their secret Eagle’s Nest of the music scene meetings. But who cares if there are such meetings? This is a free country and they have the right to conduct whatever meetings they want. I don’t spend my time wondering much about Jerry’s Pizza and how they conduct business. OK, I admit that’s about .0001% of my time… Let them conduct business how they want. If bands don’t want to change business acumen, well I certainly can’t and won’t try. It’s not my place. I just report what I have heard, and that includes on both sides... Has Jerry’s lost business? Is that what this is about? Once again… I’m just a reporter. Tell the accusing bands not to use the word ‘Nazi’. It was the Black Jerks who I witnessed in their leading punk youth to mock the alleged intimidator with “Hail Nate Berg! Hail Nate Berg!” I was just the novelist in the crowd.

But my readers want to know what’s going on, what happened that I am writing like I’m another of the alleged victims of the supposed baseball bat of poor consciousness…

Let’s start here, back in April, when this supposed Mr. Berg sent a letter claiming that he would no longer write on Jerry’s Pizza topic to me. I didn’t post it because I was yawning as I read it. I have novels to write. I’m too busy to always be worrying about Jerry’s Pizza ripping off bands and making them pay to play, or canceling shows, or not paying folks… even the gossip gets worn out.

The letter from April 23:

this will serve as the last letter I will officially write to you people at the present time, PLEASE READ THE LETTERS CLEARLY AND CAREFULLY SO THERE IS NO MISUNDERSTANDING. this is my final word on the issue, i am very busy guy and there are a lot of people counting on me in the music industry all over Bakersfield, Fresno and the world to have my A-game, that i cannot jump everytime a Chantal, or Dennis, or Alex Rodriguez is feeling a little left out..

JERRY BOOKS ALL AGES SHOWS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL TYPES, SEXES, RELIGION, HAIRCOLORS, ETHNICICITYS,....etc. We run thing by the books, with legal permits required for such an operation. If you have any hurt feelings please come by the club, i will personally purchase a slice of pizza and beverage for you and try to requit your personal grievance with quiet graceful conversation

Nathan Berg

Well there, now the supposed last letter to N.L. from Nathan Berg has been posted, a letter that marks the end of all discussion on the Rock and Roll Farm, right? My getting bored with the topic just wasn’t good enough… You know, I hate to get all Harry Potter on this matter, but this guy sounds like Severus Snape babbling at the Harry Potters of the world for being Harry Potters no less… never got Severus anywhere either, other than his blood boiling because someone out there spent a few seconds pointing out what very well just may be the truth… that Snape simply lives to intimidate Potter.

And if my articles on the Rock and Roll farm aren’t the truth? Well I never said it was, either… Maybe there was never intimidation. Maybe it isn’t even a baseball bat that folks saw in their faces at all; maybe this Nate Berg character is more like a Tinkerbell flittering about the downtown music scene with a wand of glittery goodness saying in her high-pitched nasally voice what Rodney King has said all along… Maybe he’s just mad because he’s not on Enrique’s list of best or worst dressed! Well I didn’t make it either! (And then someone like Danielle Belton does; it’s so unfair).

Which brings me to a problem with the Rock and Roll Farm I have that I would never have had with a… Gigantic… where the more literary-minded hipsters hung out… where the crowd wasn’t always as dark as the basement walls. But then, they're gone...

Of course, I haven’t mentioned before that I had seen firsthand what happens when a family starts hanging out at Jerry’s as my once sweet niece fell victim to the aura of the Rock and Roll Farm. Once a straight ‘A’ student’s grades start slipping, well, who do you blame? Parents, peers, environment? Oh, many, some, or all… and oh she dressed the part, and, why for goodness sake did her parents not trust her down there alone? They partied right alongside her. Because they didn’t trust her, or… just who or what did they not trust? And to what bitter end? Fueling the Rock and Roll Farm nonetheless. And skewing a young kid’s mind as to what is cool. Such a poor innocent girl, duped into thinking that Jerry’s Pizza was… dare I say it again? Cool? What did this Rock and Roll Farm do to this once sweet girl who ended up with a sassy and rebellious attitude, and a goth look to match? She has a right to dress and act how she likes. I like the goth look on some people. But then my point isn’t the look, my point is: doesn’t the baseball bat of poor consciousness care what affect Jerry’s Pizza has on kids? Or does he not care what kids do… it’s just about the money. Well that’s fine. But don’t I always say on here that kids are our future? Ask yourself, what does the word on the street say about Jerry’s kids? I won’t even repeat it here, although I will point out that there were two murders that one fateful night… one at the hands of… And keep in mind, I have said nothing of allegations I have heard about drugs, serious threats to kill people, or, and most dastardly of all… of the horrid meatball sandwich I had that wasn’t a meatball sandwich at all. Drowned in red sauce, it was three meatballs, bread, and a sea of sauce. I couldn’t even pick it up! I started to eat it with a fork… I wanted to take it to Kenny Mount for a proper embalming. I had never planned on stooping to the point where I had to remember that wilted sandwich, or talk about the horrors of seeing my niece transform because Jerry’s Pizza was her holy hang out for her eternal lost goth youth… ugghh… doing my best at a Jim Carey gag… one more time…

But let’s get back to the intimidation that took place today via email today. First off, it was uncalled for. Here is this supposed Nate Berg claiming that I wronged his grandfather because I used the word, ‘Nazi’. Now if that isn’t preposterous. For one, you can’t compare apples to oranges. If his grandfather were to write to me, I would surely say, “Sir, this issue has nothing to do with Nazi atrocities more than 60 years ago in death camps. Sorry you took offense. Nazis did a lot more than just kill innocents in death camps. They were a complex political organization of which the death camps played but one aspect. I do not dishonor survivors of such atrocities. I speak out against oppression.” But then I would add, “Sir, it has come to my attention in the news that there is deep debate in Israel these days about what could be construed of as similar oppression as that under the Nazis with how Israel oppresses Christian, Jew, and Muslim Palestinians… what do you think about that sir? Is it OK to oppress? Your great grandson’s website claims racial and ethnic equality in an American pizza parlor…” And then we would go off on a completely different tangent because that discussion has more meaning than wasting time talking about a Rock and Roll Farm and their alleged Nazi-like activities of intimidation and coercion in Bakersfield, California.

Let’s take a look at the letter I received today under the threatening subject heading, “Belardes… Tsk Tsk” and then I will provide further analysis.

Hello, this is off the record, friend. Did you ever wonder why The Blackboard ceased running stuff about Jerry's Pizza & Nate Berg in particular? They ran an racially insensitive piece referring to him as ticket Nazi. Just like you did. Your piece has been forwarded to the proper people and we are monitoring this situation carefully. I suggest a full apology, blog is fine, then leave him alone. He is of Russian Jewish descent, and only one of his Great Grandparents survived at Dachau.

Thanking You in masantoou

Nate Berg

Off the record? What? In a previous email it was indicated that nothing from this Berg fellow was ‘off the record’… He can’t turn ‘on’ the ‘off the record’ when he already wrote to me there would never be an ‘off the record’. And besides. I’m not a journalist. I’m a blogger and a novelist...yeah, I write a lot of fiction and truths and opinions…I never went to journalist school, so maybe I don’t even know what ‘off the record’ means…

To think that freedom of speech can be quelled with a threatening letter. Preposterous! To think that a history professor like myself, who has taken students to the Simon Wiesenthal Center and has spoken out about tolerance and racism and has lectured to no end on such subjects; that a professor such as myself who gets kids to have Descartian beliefs and to question all around them; that I have been told by students of a background very different from myself, “Mr. B., that was one of the coolest movies I ever saw. I would never have seen it, let alone understand this stuff about neurasthenic women in literature in a musical like Chicago if it weren’t for you! I didn’t know women were so oppressed! Thank you!” I have never been accused of being a racist until now… My great grandparents survived a Mexican Revolution. And my great grandmother took a bullet for it, but I’m not crying about it or threatening anyone. Here’s my response to the nastiness of Nate Berg with a heading of “Tsk Tsk Back… and shame on you”:

Dear Mr. Berg,

You can't intimidate me. You are assuming that I am
disgracing victims of the Holocaust. You are as wrong
as can be. I am not. I never once made such a
statement. I have a strong opinion of Jerry's Pizza
and supposed intimidators and I can use whatever
adjectives I like to describe such... although
intimidation of the alleged sort certainly could be
construed as Nazi-like to control people/businesses in
such ways... that is if such intimidation really
happens... On your own site you refer to yourself as a
regime... which backs up my use of such adjectives.

Using your own argument I could say then that that it
is about the same as you running a piece calling a
Chicano like me a fruit picker, which you did... which
I am not crying about, but which if the time comes can
be used right back at you... and no, this is not ‘off
the record’ since in the past you have given me full
permission to publish anything you write to me that
you send... I have it in your words. And no, I am not
your friend since you are threatening me.

Unbelievable that alleged greedy promoters like
yourself could stoop to such levels of harassment to
suggest that good folks like myself could not feel
remorse for the millions victimized by the Nazi
regime.

Shame on you.

Nick Belardes

And because I was angry for being threatened, I followed that up with…

By the way, just in case your feelings are that
sensitive, then a big fat "sorry" and a sloppy kiss,
hug and pat on the back, because your grandparent
would indeed be a hero for surviving the horrors of
death camps... I am also sorry that you are unable to
separate past from present, and adjectives from a
reality that others lived, not you...


Nick Belardes

Such Lords of Bakersfield style of intimidation. Such nonsense. Backtracking on his own words… and attempting to Shanghai and railroad me… To think that the Blackboard was forced to stop publishing articles on Nate Berg because they used the word, ‘Nazi’? This isn’t Germany where such talk, or adjective usage is taboo. And I’m not even sure if it is taboo there anymore. This is America, where my relatives fought and died to help save the world from fascism, and that included saving Holocaust victims from death camps. To drag a heroic grandfather into a debate over a pizza parlor turned Rock and Roll Farm is just shameful. To think I would talk about my own relatives in such a way; and if I did would demean them and their unique historical and culturally-defining experience... Historian David Hackett Fischer wrote a book on historical fallacies; it discusses how writers make jumps in logic as they attempt to frame questions about pursuing historical truths. I’m thinking about sending Nate Berg a copy…

Norfolk, the first alt country rock band in Bakersfield makes themselves known - by N.L. Belardes

I wonder if newly formed Norfolk would be willing to be the first crossover band in Bakersfield to step foot in a Honky Tonk since Buck Owens shared biscuits with the Beatles? Dare I even mention such words to my readers who think that country music is something you only listen to when tumbleweeds roll by corner churches? Sunday night Norfolk turned Riley’s into a hard rocking venue with their alt country stylings that could easily have been spun off Wilco’s highly acclaimed 1996 two disk set, Being There. Their music is that good.

The transition band between Indie rock and the country music scene here in Bakersfield clearly is Norfolk. I love this band, and so did everyone frequenting Riley’s last night. Norfolk has an incredible mix of melodic sounds that build into driving choruses from James Ratliff’s edgy lyrics and powerful guitar rhythms. Norfolk has matured from their former conglomeration, Marcco, a band that had some national distribution on Mono Vs. Stereo Records and a nice write-up in Alternative Press Magazine. (view old pics of Marcco)

Though James’ guitar work lacks some of the twangy country leads you would expect from Wilco’s lead man, Jeff Tweedy, paired with Peter Prevost’s grinding guitar work I couldn’t complain… Norfolk’s full sound has such a rich edge that each song rounds off with a country-esque atmosphere that easily slips into streaming rock sounds. My Broken Heart clearly is a country rock tune played ala Indie rock band with lyrics that ring with an edge that you rarely get in country tunes. And so go a host of their songs that rock you, minus the twang, but with the added strength of great chord progressions that take you deep into the sinews of each song’s alt country roots. Add in some strong bass lines that ring of country but quickly transition to rock progressions… I highly recommend that you catch Norfolk’s next gig, and meet James… he’s one of the coolest musicians in the Indie/alt country scene. And he doesn’t even wear a cowboy hat. Well, not that I’ve seen.

Foreign MySpace Band of the Day: The Bad Spellers - by N.L. Belardes

OK, there’s no rhyme or reason to The Foreign MySpace of the Day other than I want to add a little funky spunk to my music gossip. Meet The Bad Spellers, a band out of, well, I really don’t know where. Tokyo? London? Florida? Korea? I really don’t know. They’re cheesy, they’re fun, they’re almost pointless, but that’s the point. But they are a happy kind of Indie retro band who uses synth drums and keyboards of every kind imaginable… Take a look, listen to their songs and order one of their hilariously cool T-shirts. I really like their description from their MySpace account, which if you follow the links, takes you to all kinds of odd places which tell you more about these mysterious musicians…

From their site:

You'll like us if you enjoy cheesy keyboards, sub-par singing, computer-made drums, hand claps, tambourines, toy xylopones, and anpanman. People who like the bad spellers usually are fans of indie rock.

Animation inspiration - by N.L. Belardes

Looks like I’ve inspired again. You'll have to use your creative imagination with this one... A friend of mine was one of the animators when I worked as a creative writer/storyboard artist at the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas. You know, that 4.5 block long canopy of pixilated lights? Any way, he’s now at the University of Georgia working on a doctorate or something like that in animation. Well at least I think it's the University of Georgia... Here’s the email I got on Sunday describing this concept art piece that’s going to be this raging 3d animation car…

Hey N.L.,

I'm goofing off on Sunday, I'm supposed to be animating a bouncy house full of angry little hooded men... Do you know Spanish? Do you know how I would write 'Daddy's Vengeance' in Espanol? I wanted to send you a picture of what the character you inspired looks like... this was just a concept sketch but you'll get the idea... the story that goes with him is kind of like a gothabilly version of Hamlet... lots of voodoo and big guns. Lemme know if you've got any deep insights into Hispanic streetracing culture... in the 50s/60s...

K.

Norfolk to perform at Riley's tonight at 9pm - by N.L. Belardes

9pm

free

News from the music blogs... and... criticism! - by N.L. Belardes

If you haven't seen that I've added some new blogs, then look again. I'm always throwing new ones on my page. If you write one and you want some exposure. You can always email me as ask if I will put it online. Don't be bashful... I might even help.

Your band should have one. You get better internet traffic that way... Three Chord Whore has been writing. So has 40 Watt Hype. Check out the brawl at a taco shop they almost got into in San Diego! Broken Record Gospel and Norfolk need to step it up. And the Filthies have an old audio post, but need more too.

Heath Dobbler is my newest addition with Dobbler's Drunk Corner. I found some of his writing on JR's site. He writes about the music scene from a musician perspective and offers some straight-ahead music talk. Heath wrote some prose last night bashing on the music scene writers for being too positive. That may be so, but then I do have my say with the Rock and Roll Farm.

Perhaps me being critical would only point out the obvious anyway... that here in our working class town with working class bands, many chose a hard-rocking screaming style where the music transitions from soft to hard crushing rhythms where you can't understand the lyrics. Some call this screamo. I sometimes refer to it as that but try to do bands the favor of mentioning them how they want to be classified on myspace. Can I really tell the difference? There are subtle differences. I tell bands I am out to promote them and the scene, and I do. If I get too critical and were to become a full on music critic, which I am not, then just how much would I be liked and tolerated in the scene? And people would accuse me of choosing favorites. I do have obvious favorites, but it's because of personal preference, not because certain bands are better... necessarily. And then who would come out to one of my book signings if I were to say something like, "Hey Filthies, you play music like the way I played with Play-Doh, it's all squished together and no form!" My saying there are too many hard-rocking bands doesn't matter. We're in a working class town that heavily produces angry hard sounds. And that's OK. Just means competition is fierce... and maybe kids need to let out angst. I don't see them calling themselves the Sugarpops and sounding like Buddy Holly anymore.

Bands don't get noticed in Bakersfield. At least I don't think they do unless the Hollywood music industry folks are reading about Bakersfield bands on blogs like mine in the local news and then going to websites. Those would be the interns in the music industry. They're the data miners. Bands do get noticed in the big cities. Last night Kenny Mount jokingly said, "I'm going to just hang out in Hollywood during the day like where actors become waiters so they can meet the right people..." Not a bad idea... If you have that kind of time. Remember, this is a working class town.

Now, I can also complain about people not showing up to shows or about bands not getting paid, but will that ever fix the Rock and Roll Farm? or fix the problem of greedy promoters at venues who manipulate the scene to make extra cash? Hey, if bands put up with it and don't unify, it's their own fault that promoters who mimic the Whisky-a-go-go, or who bring in bands with lots of fans and then take all the money, well, who is the better business man? If I have a company and you chose to buy my low grade expensive product, ask yourself, why do you? Buy from someone else. You might get better quality and better service. Bands who just accept the scene for what it is will never instill change in how the scene operates.

There Heath, a harsher criticism from the Nickster... But will I criticize the music? I can't criticize that since we're mostly all working class folks here... and I'm just a writer, not a musician. I can't even play scales on a guitar. Working class folks should build each other up. There are probably only a few bands out there in town whose kids are more your Seven Oaks Brady Bunch types. But then, they want success too. And you know who is going to take criticism the hardest here? Me. You watch. People will love Lords: Part One, while others, those ungrateful little yahoos will tear it down. You wait and see, it's what the literary world does. And who will back me? I don't know. We artists take risks.

But then that's an entirely other conversation...

In final I throw this into the wind: How successful do Bakersfield bands want to be? How disillusioned are some bands with their pursuit of the big dream? How professional are their web sites? How well do bands market themselves? How standardized are their demo kits? Do they have a business plan and target labels with a professional quality demo cd that is industry standard? Only each band can answer such questions as they seek to find answers to their own destiny and identity...

Searching the music scene for chicken soup - by N.L. Belardes

I have returned to my years of being a writer-hermit like Sean Connery in Finding Forrester; up in his tenement tower, peering out at the barrio streets with the grumpy attitude, wondering about past days, and in paranoid Scottish fashion saying, "Bolt the door if you're coming inside," to a friend who briefly stopped by.

But then late evening came. There was music to be seen, but for once, I didn't really want to see it; noises in my pounding head just didn't seem like a good fit. The eternal cloud of a medicated high from prescription drugs. The music might have just sounded like a tinny 1930s scratchy soundtrack with Danny Kaye screeching, throwing his hat into the crowd, and TAT-TAP-TAP dancing across tabletops...

Kenny Mount pulled up in a limo outside my front door. "You need a ride, mister?" he said. Sure, why not. I could use the pampering. I wondered if he had chicken soup inside his neon-streaked limo. I sat in the back--my first limo ride. I remember seeing Kenny take his limo to a show and he and Rob of the now imploded band Flabbergasted both leaning like two James Deans, probably wondering about their lost starry-eyed youth. There was no soup pot boiling there in the back. Out of luck. "In a little while I'm going glow-bowling!" Kenny said like a little boy stepping out into the big blue yonder...

"I haven't eaten in a few days," I complained.

And so we went to Kosmos... Six was going to play. We walked in and greeted Jimmy. He's a cool cat and wants to take care of his customers. His waitress recognized Kenny and said, "You're in that band... you sing that one song... "Nobodylikesme...everybodyhatesme" she sang. Kenny giggled sheepishly. Sick Trigger started jamming. I think because my head is so congested I thought I was listening to Motley Crue. The 80s came sweeping back to me. Suddenly I envisioned the stoners in high school with their long Aqua Net-sprayed hair saying "whoah" like Wayne's World...

Ok, don't get me wrong, these guys aren't a band from the 80s, and they don't actually sound like Motley Crue. They rock hard and you can listen for yourself. They have a release out called The Stand. If you collect local music, pick it up and add it to your hard rock section...

Once again there was no chicken soup, and no soup at all for that matter. "You need soup," Kenny said like he were suddenly Kenny Gramps. That's OK, Kosmos has decent chicken strips. We munched on those when some other dude stopped by the table. "Hey," he said to Kenny. "Aren't you that dude who sings, "Nobodylikesme...everybodyhatesme"?

"Yeah..." Kenny laughed.

"You guys have it goin' on. Green Day is blowing up, so punk is so mainstream now. It's your time. Good luck to you, man..."

Kenny seemed so happy to have his musack recognized...

Loren DeLaRosa came and hung out at the table for a while. We talked about shows, restaurant health department that Loren does for the county, but he soon took off to listen to some jams.

Outside, Kenny spoke with Greg from Temperd. Boy did they have a heart-to-heart about where Temperd is headed. Nothing I can repeat here. Although I did tell Greg I was the guy he tried to put into a headlock until I pulled the fancy hockey-moves-along-the-boards switcheroo on him during a Filthies show. He was lucky I wasn't wearing my skates. I still owe him a hip check... We all had a good laugh after that. Atthough mine was more of a froggy cough attack.

I left before Six came on. I heard that Friday night at the old Hush Puppy so many people showed up they had to be turned away at the door... I really really wanted to go watch alt country angry folk singer Jimmy Holliday and friends at The Empty Space. I just didn't have the energy. He'll be at Studio 99 on May 13th, and then at Dagney's on May 27th...

I have to try to get out again tonight. Alt Country rocksters Norfolk will be at Rileys. Don't miss them. They're really good...

It's Sunday morning now. Time to be a hermit again and remind myself of memories of a long gone mother...

Saturday Night Music - by N.L. Belardes

There's some good music going on tonight, from hardcore to alt country. DOn't be a schlep, go out and support the local music scene. Melodrose is great fun as Shane is a wild man, SIX is incredible although I got picked on for sitting in a booth during their show at Vinny's "What do you think this is, church?" their front man yelled... and Jimmy Holliday is angry alt country supreme and a hell of an acoustic man...


melodrose tonight
where: studio 99
address:
when: Doors at 8:30, show at 9
cost: $5
details: Prone, 20th Century Skin, Cecilia and Red, and Emora

More:

Jagermeister Party!!!
where: Kosmo’s
address: 1623 19th Street
when: 9pm
cost: $5
details: Six, 40 To ONE, Sick Trigger, lots of Jager giveaways!

Yes!:

Jimmy Holliday
where: Empty Space Theatre
address: Oak Street next to pizzaville
when: 11pm
cost: donations
details:

Interview with the Director of The War Days - by N.L. Belardes

I took some time today to do conduct a phone interview with Landen Belardes, Director of The War Days, a student-made war flick premiering at the Spotlight Theatre on Thursday, May 19th. Even more than just being the Director, Landen is the writer/actor/storyboard artist/digital film editor. He talked about the film’s music controversy regarding the film’s use of violence, acting and filming on location, and marshmallow peeps. Here’s what he had to say:


N: Landen, how do feel about The War Days premiering the same day as Star Wars, Episode III…

L: I’ll tell you it’s double the excitement (pause as I hear Landen is about to conduct an experiment with Marshmallow Peeps. He’s heard if you put them in a microwave they blow up really big)

Blowing peeps in the microwave is an experience I haven’t experienced before…

N: Wow, so you haven’t actually tried to blow them up yet. How long…

L: Well, you put them in for 1minute.

N: Why did want real costumes, and not some cheesy Toys R Us plastic costumes?

L: Wouldn’t look totally realistic. This isn’t a cheesy movie… there are no cheesy costumes…

N: Why did you choose the Vietnam era?

L: I wanted to do a World War Two film, but weapons and costumes were too much of a problem. You can’t get Thompsons and M1 Garand rifles, but M16 toys are easy to get and make look real like we did. We could have gone with desert storm but I was more on a Vietnam track.

The marshmallows went inside out… ah now it’s shrinking…it got bigger but shrunk back after door opened.

N: But did it look cool?

L: Yeah… it was funny.

N: What was the toughest part about acting in The War Days?

L: Trying not to laugh. Because we don’t have proper training, and we’re friends, and maybe most actors aren’t close friends. So we laughed a lot; that was hard for us…

N: What was your favorite scene to film?

L: The end when the second Dalloways song came on that leads into credits…

N: Wasn’t there lots of bugs, poison oak and stinging nettles at some of those locations?

L: We all got it and were itching really bad. There were bugs like spiders. There’s a part in the movie you can see a spider crawl on my gun.

N: Did the bugs bother you?

L: No the itchiness and the grass… In one scene with me and Matt Prieto got stinging nettles pretty bad…

N: I hear there were some scenes with friendly cows around. Describe what happened…

L: We were walking to film a death scene and we happened to see these cows. Jordan tried to scare them away because they were coming towards us… he only scared away a couple. So some of us got kind of nervous.

N: Does that mean there were a lot of cow patties around?

L: Yeah in one battle scene Shaun jumped in one.

N: That had to of been pretty messy.

L: Pretty gross…

N: How do you feel about the upcoming May 19th premiere?

L: I feel good. We talked about the Fox. I was pretty excited about that… I would have been excited to have it at someone’s house but then I found out about the Spotlight… pretty excited about that… It’s a cool theatre.

N: Do you plan on making more movies?

L: I will be making more I know that. There are some ideas going around. Maybe a horror film…that’s kind of evolving…

N: What about film school. Does this look like it could be your career? (He’s only in 8th grade right now)

L: Maybe USC or UCLA film school….

N: Do you want to tell people what this film is about?

L: The War Days is about how all these friends who have known each other go to war together, and two who hated each other have to go too… through the movie they bond…

N: How do you feel about the violence in the film?

L: The violence isn’t as violent as I could have made it…

N: I heard a band wouldn’t participate because the movie is violent…

L: It’s just a student film. All the bands who are participating are excited to have song in a movie, in any movie. And their song had fit really well… but…

N: But they said it condoned violence.

L: It does condone violence… but maybe they were expecting something like Platoon or Full Metal Jacket’s violence. But this is nothing like that… I feel bad for the band that didn’t participate. They could have had a show and maybe more people would have known who they were…there’s going to be a lot of people for who this is going to be their first experience with Bakersfield music… and that’s a good thing.

N: I agree. Exposure for bands in the local scene is good. But for people who like war movies there are some battle scenes?

L: There are some good battle scenes. They’re not cheesy at all.

N: Anything else you would like to add…

L: Yes, I would appreciate people coming out and supporting the film. There’s gong to be some great bands after the show… So come on out and get your tickets early. Between all the bands fans and people wanting to see the movie, tickets won’t be available for long.

N: I hear tickets may go on sale Wednesday… call the Spotlight Theatre for more information 634.0691

Enrique Fuentes to write tell all book! - by N.L. Belardes

In between coughs (I have the same ill that illpressed has been fighting) I had a phone interview with Enrique Fuentes, Queen of the Downtown Fur. It was a planned interview as she has a few exciting projects that she was willing to discuss. Here's the interview:


N: So Enrique, what’s all this fuss between Baketown, me and you?

E: Oh Nicky, it’s not a fuss, it’s just some catty chatty talk. I do it all the time with Paulo since he wants me back and all. We say we hate each other, but it's all about love and understanding our differences. With that said, you need to quit with that fiery temper and put her link back up… I saw what you did!

N: I probably will. I get passionate about my causes. Wait a minute, I’m interviewing you!

E: Typical male. I knew I would cause a stir with my top ten. I can’t help but to express my faboo opinions in glamorous ways.

N: Yes, you do that very well. I’ve heard a lot of laughter on your latest, as well as on your Dysfunctional Theatre review of Robin Hood. I noticed Danielle Belton even keeps writing about the glitter scenes...

E: I do love glitter, but you need to be snapped at because they’re not dysfunctional as much as they are brilliant glam pieces! Don't make me pout!

N: So should I give them a different name?

E: No, mama’s fine with it. I like the attention.

N: (laughter)You told me over lunch on Friday that you have two goals for this year. What are those?

E: Well little hoochie writer boy, I’m glad you asked. You’re so pretty over the phone when you have bronchitis. You sound like a sexy barroom hoochie man... You should call me at 3am... jajaja!

N: You lose focus so easy. Do you even remember the question?

E: Ay! You’re like a copacabana boy who only wants to take my order! Now listen because I will whisper… There are two things I want to work on. One is a podcast. I want to call it something like, ‘Enrique Talks to You and You and YOU! Episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…42’, you know, there’s a new episode number after each title. We would have some fun intro music. We would talk Bakersfield and fashion and music and theatre and me…

N: That sounds really cool. When do you hope to begin?

E: Well I don’t know I am still sort of letting the idea hang from my mind like a new purse. Letting it grow on me, you know, baby boy? When I have all my ideas like shoes in my closet I will start chosing pairs... you'll see.

N: What’s your other project?

E: A book.

N: You’re not…

E: I am! I’m so excited about this I want to get some big hoochie hat with a veil for when I write because my secrets are just that sacred! Shout it! Jajaja! Yes!!

N: That sounds great! You have a lot of fans who would dig a book by you. Can you tell us something about it?

E: Oh sure. Well, my working title for now is The Queen and I, although I thought about calling it The Catty Chatty Book of Dreams, or Mama Doesn’t Need a Perm, by Enrique Fuentes: Queen of the Downtown Fur... The story itself… oh you know I don’t kiss and tell, but in this book I would. I would tell all! A little about growing up in that hoochie town of Delano, a little about me and Paulo, my adventures with Rico the Paparazzi, some pillow talk, some of my catty chatty sessions with Neneng Tea and Kay Kay Jones, some music and theatre potty talk, and a big sprinkle of fashion like glitter on every paragraph to make it all shine. Girls have to flaunt it and I plan to. You could hear the snap before I did it, couldn't you, hoochie boy? Snap!

N: (more laughter) That sounds like a great book… have you already started it?

E: Honey, I won’t lie, I’m almost done with it.

N: You’re almost done?!

E: Oh hush, you know I'm acting like Nicky doesn't know anything about it when you really do.

N: I’m trying to hype you up here…

E: Honey, the only hype I need is Captain Kenny Filthy Pants singing to me while I’m wearing a vintage alligator skin sleeveless by Kapal, for that really tantalizing night of punk star dreams…

N: OK, then when can we get an excerpt?

E: Just as soon as mama decides to kiss and tell. Mama has to think. You have to have just the right gloss for a kissing booth, a little tease, a little softness, and just enough sticky to make them want to get in line and do it all over again…

Bakersfield Bukowski - by N.L. Belardes

Two of the counterculture shadows hidden in my Bakersfield Bukowski pieces were slinking about at the Montgomery World Plaza last night. Bobby, slick-haired denizen of the Subterranean Bakersfield streets, and Roseamber, full-figured honey of the hot shadows both stepped from a Kerouac novel, not from Maggie Cassady, but Desolation Angels, dark brooding, escaping the void of prosody and singing to boddhisaatva moments, but without Darcie; both lurking and mingling as Broken Record Gospel played it's New Bakersfield Experiment in sound...

Bakersfield Bukowski 1

Bakersfield Bukowski 2

Bakersfield Bukowski 3

Little do these three know they have already worked their way into a novel I am working on... such inspiration simply from the art of observing starry-eyed lovers of the Void passing through a music-filled room...



(images and review of last night to be written soon--technical difficulties with image disk. I have been told it is repairable)

The War Days to Premiere May 19th! - by N.L. Belardes

A 35-minute student-made epic... Blood and guts... soldiers fighting against all odds... a delicate friendship strengthened by war... a cameo from a local Superstar... and music from The Filthies, Seven to the Right, Broken Record Gospel, The Dalloways, and Liars and Thieves, all in Bakersfield's most quaint theatre, The Spotlight...

And you thought it was just about the Star Wars Premiere... I'll be doing both... will you? Support your local filmmakers... Once you see this movie you'll think about making your own... tickets go on sale early next week. Movie starts at 6:30pm, followed by four of the most exciting bands Bakersfield has to offer...

The War of the Bloggers - by N.L. Belardes

Look at this battle being waged over Enrique Fuentes hilarious Best and Worst Dressed Hoochie Bakersfield Celebrity list. I've even taken a few whacks myself at Baketown to no avail. She's written me several emails claiming that in an adult-like manner we should make peace. But then I am still thinking her comments about "Bulldozing" the Montgomery World Plaza just weren't funny at all.

Originally I had posted a response on Bakotopia. The argument continued here, with Baketown insisting she supports Latinos, but not the use of the MWP. Originally I posted on Bakotopia who I started to blog for. I pulled out of Bakotopia after being told to tone down my comments because they hurt Baketown's feelings. Since I took that for an attempt to manage my content, I quickly pulled out of their blogworld and pulled down all my music reviews...

It all gets rather confusing as Bakotopia is owned by the Bakersfield Californian. It's sort of an interesting sub-plot to the story. Regarding what you are told by Bakotopia I tend to believe the Californian since they told me Bakotopia was created as a means to win online traffic and to re-obtain folks business who may jump from local classifieds to out of town decimators of local news classified sections, Craigslist...

But don't get too caught up in the 'War of the Bloggers', that's all a side dessert to Enrique's Top/Worst dressed list, which is extremely entertaining...

Tonight's shows....

Three events tonight.

Studio 99/Amigos/MWP

Not on my culture calendar is this info for MWP...

Go to nlbelardes.com for culture calendar info.

Battling for a spot on the Rockin' Reggae Show Stage.
Broken Record Gospel
Gramercy Riff
Fail Safe
Hips

$5
may 5 @ montgomery world plaza
doors open @ 5:30 show starts at 7

Music and Theatre News - by N.L. Belardes

JR wrote an interesting piece of news on the demise of Real Rock 93.1. As for me, I don't listen to the radio at all, so it's news to me. If it were up to me I would have a killer college radio station on the airwaves that doesn't just play old alt music from the 1990s. Why is it my friends in other states call up just to brag and hold their cell phones up to their radios and say, "Check out this cool song on the airwaves. I bet you don't get that in Bakersfield..." Might be five Wilco songs in a row, or the Dandy Warhols or some cool underground band hot on the nationwide alt scene... Nope, according to the stations we're not a market for that... Well where the hell did Korn come from? And Bakersfield radio refused to play them too. Maybe if radio stations around here tried a hip alt format an entirely different scene would develop that would actually support a station of the sorts... It's all money and big wigs and management and the conservative elitists saying, "Ya know pardnuh, I ain't given my advertisement oil money dollars to no gay format. Better keep it manly soundin', and not all that new razamataz..." and blah blah blah...

Bakersfield radio stations are as bad as MTV, which doesn't play music videos unless you're watching the Mexican version (Go Paulina... ay!). To think I used to hear new music on MTV and then go out and buy a record. To think U2 was once an underground band given a shot on MTV...

OK, I'm off my soapbox...


The Rocky Horror Show is having a bazaar and you
can have a booth to promote your venture...

Here are the details from Julie Jordan Scott:

Yes - there is still room for you to participate in
the one and only Rocky Horror Bizarre Bazaar.

This is the perfect place to promote your business,
group, art, upcoming event, agency, or cause
to an enthusiastic group of Theatre Go-ers.

There is no-charge for the table-booth, though
we do respectfully request booth participants
assist as needed in such activities as ticket-taking
and "keeping the wild peace" that comes
with an energetic production such as the
Rocky Horror Show.

Dates to choose from (You may choose one,
several, whatever fits your needs):

May 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 at Show at 8 pm
(Booth Set Up between 6 and 6:30)

May 7 and 14 Show at Midnight
(Booth set up between 10:30 and 11:00)

To register for your space, please call
Julie Jordan Scott now at 444.2735
or send an email: mailto:julie@5passions.com

Flabbergasted about the gossip of the day - by N.L. Belardes

Did you hear the trumpets? The angels of Bakersfield music rejoiced when hearing Karmahitlist had dispelled rumors of a break-up by launching a media campaign via my site and JR's. They rejoiced further when Kenny Motor Mount phoned to say they had four new songs to pour into their new cd, Rare. "We've got new songs, new T-shirts, new fans, new microwave ovens, a new tour van, and new socks...!" Kenny said...

Yet those same trumpets turned bluesy when the angels pulled out their smoky dive B.B. King cherub band today when Swag 667 broke up citing irreconcilable differences in a marriage of musicians gone bad... and then further into the land of woe when I just received this message from Rob Shock that Flabbergasted lived a short and simple punk life... I hate to say it, but I'm not shocked. Even though they had a decent first gig, those metal hearts of the drummer and bassist just didn't seem to be into jamming ala Rob's punk frenzy. Seems they took their momentum and just dropped it into the toilet. There were other setbacks too. The Rocky Nash courtship, the busted ear drum...

Anyway, here's Rob Shock's announcement of Flabbergasted, dead after just one gig:

A major setback - once there were 3, now only 1

Bassist Jared has been put on the injured list due to a ruptured ear-drum, and though he may be recovered in a month, he has decided to step aside as bassist for Flabbergasted.

Drummer Oscar Gomez has also decided to step down due to time constraints.

What does this mean for the future of Flabbergasted? I can't tell you. For now, I'm calling the band "on hold" until I've had some time to think. Thanks for stopping by.

Rob Shock

Shows tonight through May 8th

Some upcoming shows not on the culture calendar...pulled from The Hips site...

Tonite! Wednesday may 4th
our friends our playin, its over 21, but it was the best they could do to get a location. So please show up and support. playin:
The Art Ghetto
Three Chord Whore
Tuggy (w/o dave, he has school)
9pm @ the mint (19th & M) free. (donations are cool)

Tomorrow Nite Thursday may 5th
6pm @ Montgomery World Plaza $5
Broken Record Gospel
Gramercy Riff
Fail Safe
Hips

Saturday Nite May 7th
7pm @ Nunez House (2501 Patti Ct and Hughes) $donations
SoSoSo
Teenage Talking Cars
Emora!
Secretes (hips+ mark from captain/black jerks)
*after show go to the midnite showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show at Bakersfield Community Theatre

Sunday May 8th
7pm @ The Dwelling (SLO)
NOre & Sheerness
Scrawny Scream
The Circuit
Secretes

thanks hope to see you.

Swag 667 breaks up - by N.L. Belardes

Hard-rocking Bakersfield band Swag 667 has broken up today. No word on what exactly happened. In an announcement from Billy Von sent via the Internet,

Thank you everybody for the support: bad news. Swag 667 is over. Been a hell of a ride for awhile, we all feel really bad but it just is not going to work out, differences in band handling has caused something that cant be fixed, again thank you it's a sad night in bako. billy von

In another message later posted: "SWAG OVER BUT NEW PROJECT UNDERWAY". That means No Swag at the Friday the 13th Festival coming up at Montgomery World Plaza... but I'm guessing we'll hear some great new music from Billy Von in the coming months...

Into the world of Karmahitlist... - by N.L. Belardes

Riley’s bar, one of those dark bars in downtown Bakersfield where literary ghosts lurk has changed identities more times through the years than James Bond actors. Not that Riley’s itself has transformed. It’s been around seven years or so. It was Chaos Coffee and Bottom’s Up, and I forget what it was before that… right now it’s a long lonely bar in the twilight hours. Shadows shoot off the glass and through beer glasses like a scene from an old black and white flick; subtle yet atmospheric. That’s when I wandered in. Who know who frequents the creaky wooden floors at all hours… I only haunt when a Bakersfield band is involved.

Me with a horrid cold, I walked in late this evening, coughing. In the shadows there sat a few movers and shakers of the Bakersfield music scene. The big guy of the writing scene himself sat at a table. He leaned against the wall and looked like he was ready to jam on a sax and down a few brews. In front of him a notebook sat on the table. I wondered what was in it. The secrets to Bakersfield’s downtown music scene universe no less? Two other guys leaned into the picture. One had a dark look about him. One too many beers the night before. He sported a Mohawk. His eyes looked tired but he had an agenda. He talked fast. The shadows were on fire. He leaned forward and began talking about Karmahitlist. The band had taken a turn. But it wasn’t the gossip-turn locals had been talking about. It wasn’t the demise of a great band. They weren’t dead. I never thought they were. Cesareo had been on the road. He’d been smacking the drums as a paid drummer, on hiatus from Karmahitlist. He was already a professional. But just like most Bakersfield bands. Getting paid is something else. It’s something most idealistic bands dream of. He came back transformed. The music industry became real, tangible. It took form. It wasn’t unreachable, but it was distant. There are contracts on the horizon, and not completely untouchable. So we talked. The big guy talked too. So did guitarist Jim Fendrick. His tattoos stood out beneath his shirt, creeped up his neck; his slicked back hair and bright eyes spoke volumes. Karmahitlist is not dead. Karmahitlist is about to tell all. Karmahitlist, with its rock star made-up frontman god, Seantastic, the ex-marine fist-fighter… Tim on bass… and Cesareo and Jim are about to speak out…

Developing…

Author gets message from the Rolling Stone - by N.L. Belardes

So I had sent the Rolling Stone a link to my news story with this message:

Thought you might be interested in reading my take on
the Sevcik article about the Lords of Bakersfield and
witch hunts gone bad...

I finally got a message in return today. Reading between the lines I am thinking the Rolling Stone is basically saying, "Piss off you Bakersfield cowtown losers." I could be wrong. But here's their message. Judge for yourself:

N.L.,
If you'd like to submit a letter for publication consideration, please send it at a maximum of 100 words to this address. Thank you. Kevin

Ok, here's my response in less than a hundred words. In fact, here's one word: Rehash.

Linking the Valley Music Scene: A Talk with Aroarah - by N.L. Belardes

Crammed full of musicians and twin hot roadies, Aroarah’s Blazer sped down Interstate 5 making its way towards Bakersfield through the farmland of the San Joaquin Valley. The ice chest was full; the berry-flavored generic fruit roll-ups were out; but these non-generic girls weren’t about to eat healthy or stay cramped for long. They had a big gig at Springfreakdomefest to attend and they weren’t about to show up as vegetarian-loving angels. Pass the bag of chips, please. These are hard-rocking girls, as fun as can be, as sweet as they need to be, and with just enough promotion as of late to land them on decent-sized tours and even a TV commercial. Unsigned? So what? All smiles? Sure, why not? These girls say they just want to tour, tour, tour… It’s about the music and they want to play it. On the road to Bakersfield? Can’t be so bad when you’re all about getting the word out that you’re a great hard-rocking band, all-female at that, and out to break the stereotype that it’s not an all-male hard-rocking world…

Another gas-stop down the interstate… It takes three twelve-gallon tanks to get down the road to Bakersfield so I was told by these vixens of hard rock. Don’t worry, they don’t mind paying. Bands like Aroarah deal with the hard knocks of economics. Their fun-loving silly slap-attack moods are what gets these girls everywhere… I asked them to describe that day on the road to Bakersfield for me. “We woke up at 5am. No, wait, our day really started a week before when our van broke down and needed a tow,” one of the girls giggled. It was all confusion for me as I spoke with Morgan, Lydia, Kenzie and Chelsea all at once in a spirited phone interview that left us all cracking up. I don’t know who was talking. One of them said: “We had to even find a vehicle to get down there. We got this Blazer, but it was a tight fit. Our roadies: Matt and his twin brother Carl. They’re cute. The girls really like them. They were packed in with the ice chest.”

And the road trip?

“The I-5 is a bunch of smelly cow crap. It sucks. But we have fun doing sing-a-longs, ABC games, sleeping… Kenzie drove and she had road rage because the cd kept skipping the whole way.” So much for Led Zep playing consistent like these angels do in concert. “I think Kenzie ate a whole box of Wheat Thins,” said one of the girls.

She did.

I was on my way home when Aroarah first called. I wasn’t ready yet. These girls are rock stars in the making. I needed a better front. I was nervous. I called them from home a few minutes later:

“’ello I’m calling to talk to uhrowwwrah,” I said in a rather flimsy British accent.

“Hello?”

“The rock stahs… I’m calling for the big intahhview…”

“Yeah that’s us…” someone giggled. I imagined one of the girls, probably Morgan rolling her eyes, about to hang up on old N.L.…

“What’s eet like in Livapool?”

“What?”

“Eets where you’re from, right?”

Doesn’t matter. I got half a laugh and they stayed on the line to tell me that the crowd was responsive at Bakersfield’s Springfest after all. Their song, ‘Unfold’ seemed to get them their biggest response. “I think people are generally shocked that we’re all girls and we don’t suck. The crowd really liked that song. We always get the mad love from the chicks—you know, ‘girlpower’ and all…but the guys dug it too. And I do have to say that the people putting on the show were really cool as well. They even unloaded our truck!”

I think they were mentioning Chris ‘Flemdog’ Fleming and that papa Teddy Bear of the old Tule Fog days, Mark Pope…

I asked how long the girls of Aroarah have known each other. Apparently these girls in their early 20s go way back to Junior High and before as they grew up listening to classic rock. Lydia and Morgan go even further back, having known each other since the 4th grade. Those were the days Morgan liked little Kevin while also ruling the tetherball courts with her lanky body and long reach. “She would tear me up,” laughed Lydia. “I wasn’t so tall then.” But Lydia was never to be outdone. She knew Morgan was into that heartthrob Kevin, so she did old Kevin a favor by penning supposed love letters that Morgan pined upon, thinking her Rico Suave had discovered more than her tetherball skills. From what I understand, the letters went something like this:

I think you’re cute. Let’s hold hands. Meet me behind the ball wall and tethers…

love, Kevin

But I can’t leave that alone can I? I’m the guy who wrote about the Lords of Bakersfield. I dig for the juicy stuff and so asked Lydia about her first crush. “He was some metrosexual at a Renaissance Fair. Nerds all the way, baby, especially with the high-tech cell phones.” But those days have gone by. Now she’s serious about her Mohawk-sporting guy with the big feet who she claims may have a touch of ADD. “Brian Platinum, he’s so cool he keeps pictures of us girls on a wall in his room. He puts up with our bitchiness and will even go to the store for us (including the tour manager) and buy tampons.” I agree with Aroarah. That’s love.

In final I asked Aroarah who their favorite tour band would be. That question caused quite a stir. I felt like I was watching their commercial all over again. Apparently the commercial is really how they are: feisty, punks, comfortable enough with each other to be honest and mean; they just have a “leave it in the garage mentality” that makes them click as musicians and friends. That’s a good perception of each other to have. As for their perception of Bakersfield. I think it was a bit off… but I educated them a bit… as for the world’s perception of Aroarah? They feel there is a misperception about girl bands in general… so all they ask is to check them out.

As for the perfect tour band? There were a lot of names thrown around that were both big and not-so-big bands, and I doubt I could even spell them all. But one stuck, Paradigm Shift out of Vacaville. I don’t know who they are, but when I do, I’ll let you know…

The War Days Movie to Premiere at Spotlight Theatre - by N.L. Belardes

The War Days, a student film on the Vietnam-era is to premiere at the Spotlight Theatre May 21st at 8pm. (yes there are blood and guts--it's a war movie!)

Tickets to go on sale soon!

The premiere also features four bands whose music is featured in the film, and one of whose members has a cameo! Come and see:

Broken Record Gospel
Seven to the Right
Liars and Thieves
and The Filthies



Movie DVDs and the Movie Sountrack will be on sale the night of the performance.
I will let you know as soon as tickets are ready for purchase. As soon as I do let you know you will have to get yours fast as this fun night will sell out...

First two chapters of Lords of Bakersfield novel online - by N.L. Belardes

Is this some of what you're waiting for?

Chapter One

Chapter Two

And don't think you're going to get a chapter three out of me before May 28th...

Tyler and the Wranglers last stand - by N.L. Belardes

The mist poured into onto the stage like smoke from the battle at the OK corral. The last remaining cowboys wiped their brows and took the stage while groupies crammed together like tumbleweed just to get a glimpse of Tyler and the Wranglers last stand.



All right, so it wasn’t really a bunch of cowboys, or a cowpunk band out of Bakersfield, California tearing it up at Studio 99 on Friday night. It was Seven to the Right’s last performance with Tyler at guitar.



And Studio 99, take a look at this place just down the street from the Crystal Palace and Buck’s big Cadillac horse sunset stage. Hidden in the industrial metal crush of a warehouse with couches strewn outside and tiki torches on fire, here was the riverbed party scene meeting working man’s blue collar factory floor… Having some fun, lead man Joey donned a cowboy hat and made claim that they were the Wranglers. Rustled away however is guitarist Tyler, who wanted to have one last go with his bandmates.






Seven to the Right is one of the Bakersfield music scene’s most well-dressed hidden alt rock gems, although I still give full accolades to those Brit Pop Hipsters, the Dalloways, with Seven to the Right coming in a close second with their killer dress shirts and ties.

Although American Standard is leading the way for up-and-coming Bakersfield bands right now with their big tours, big cd just out, and big following; Seven to the Right has a modest following but a big alt rock mainstream sound that should get even bigger. And that doesn’t mean Tyler never added to the rich texture of Seven to the Right’s catchy alt mainstream sounds. Lead man Joey certainly got into his act by tilting his cowboy hat forward and getting right into their set with his I-wanna-love-you baby boy crooning. Yes, I saw many ladies singing word for word as Joey belted out his vocals to songs like ‘Point of No Return’ ‘Echo’, and ‘Wait a Little While’. Bassist Ryan Bright was on as usual with his bass sounds reminiscent of his fast-punk days of maniacally ripping the bass like he was some kind of melodious paper shredder. You have to love his talent as he is a masterful maker of bass melodies and catchy lines that just have his hands zooming into punk funkdom even though the band’s overall sound is alt mainstream.



Seven to the Right may be going through some changes for the moment, but they are quickly heading back to the studio to create some new sounds. Look forward to seeing them perform May 21st at the Spotlight Theatre for the War Days movie premiere that is also going to feature Broken Record Gospel, Liars and Thieves and The Filthies. More information on that coming soon… Ryan however does promise Seven to the Right will have a few new songs to wow the young crowd… I am wondering if the band name will change?

From Ritual to Romance took the stage before Seven to the Right. I’d never heard their melodic sounds although they do fall into the hardcore category. I was shocked to hear lead man Ruben Val Verde tell me after the show that he reads my website everyday. What? He can’t mean everyday everyday. Maybe he means once a week everyday… I admit I am a haunting novelist hidden in the mists of the local music and art scene. But Ruben caught me off guard. I just had a conversation with the poet/owner of Studio 99 and he had no idea who I was…





From Ritual to Romance surprised me. These Chicanos and one token white dude do not sound like my Latino nephews slapping a few drums, making a few jokes and then partying on. From Ritual to Romance takes their hardcore sounds seriously even though they did sort of meet as a joke and started hanging out and playing instruments with nothing better to do. Once they added their drummer, their show got real serious real fast and they were there last night tearing it up for the crowd who rocked out and had a great time. Their melodies were what captured me and I wished their music didn’t turn hard-edged because I loved their melodic guitar sounds so much.




Photo shoot out take: who spilled the beer??

They have a great blend and flow to their sounds, and even when turning hardcore in a musical transition their fans sure didn’t seem to mind. When they get hard-edged they sound a lot to me like that big working class sound pouring out of Bakersfield that includes similar sounds from American Standard, Melodrose, Give Impulse, Throatshot, Arrival of Fawn, Myndsick, Adema and others who are all on the heels of Korn, not trying to sound like them, but having that popular hardcore screaming edge that really energizes the fans.